A lone Canada goose left onlookers stunned, fending off an American bald eagle – the top predator – in a fierce struggle on ice. Captured through the lens of photographer Mervyn Sequeira, the dramatic encounter quickly became more than just a wildlife spectacle, taking on symbolic meaning amid rising US-Canada tensions.
The Ontario-based photographer and retired airline pilot was out with his family on a winter morning when he spotted the dramatic encounter between the two birds. Sensing an imminent attack, Mr Sequeira trained his lens on the frozen lake, capturing a fierce 20-minute struggle.
The eagle, North America’s apex predator, repeatedly swooped down, attempting to subdue the goose. But the goose held its ground, deflecting each attack. Eventually, the eagle gave up and flew away, leaving its prey battered but alive.
Mr Sequeira later recounted the scene in an Instagram post, “Not often does one see our apex raptor, the American Bald Eagle, attempting to take down a Canada Goose. For close to twenty minutes, one attacked and the other desperately defended. Finally, the eagle gave up-the goose was spared.”
“Nature has its way of taking out the weak and the not-so-well and the injured. The eagle likely thought it would be able to take it out quite easily,” he told The Guardian. “But, it wasn’t.”
The victory, however, seemed bittersweet. Mr Sequeira said that the goose showed signs of avian influenza and would likely not survive much longer. The eagle also was exposed to the virus, which has already killed many bald eagles in recent years.
The encounter also took on symbolic meaning. Tensions have been brewing between the US and Canada – fuelled by Donald Trump’s 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods and his controversial remark labelling the country as “the 51st state”.
The nature showdown came just days after Canada’s hockey team claimed an overtime victory against the US in Boston. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, “You can’t take our country – and you can’t take our game.”
“It’s quite a coincidence that it should have happened at this time. And I’m not entirely surprised. I like to look at things from the naturalist point of view and from the wildlife photographer’s point of view and not put a spin on it,” Mr Sequeira said.