Real or Fake? Viral Video of Hawk Dropping Large Snake on a Family Picnic Sparks Debate

What would you do if a large raptor suddenly dropped a huge snake while you and your family were enjoying a barbecue day? A few days ago, a video of such a heart-stopping incident surfaced online. The clip quickly went viral with other people criticizing the clip for its authenticity.

Posted on YouTube by user Douglas Wong, the clip showed a bird, which according to the user is a hawk, circling them before dropping the "snake bomb." The clip also showed the snake slithering away as the family screams in panic.

Hoax?

While others were completing amazed by the video, some people would not buy it. Bird Spy Australia told Express UK that there is something wrong about the bird itself, saying that its turns and flight are suspicious.

"Could you please take a bit more care when you make a fake video. The ‘hawk's' flight is all wrong but especially the turns," the groups said. "Even if the hawk looked real the snake would have let you down. The seagull looked real only because it was a real seagull that did not reacted to the ‘hawk' which it would have if a bird of prey was flying around there."

Gizmodo also explained how the Hawk has no reflection in the water.

Confirmation

In just 48 hours, the video has garnered over 5 million views. Until a club came forward to claim that the video was indeed fake.

According to the Hawks website, it's just a marketing stunt to create noise about the launch of their seventh consecutive finals campaign.

"Hawthorn's media team partnered with Melbourne production company, The Woolshed, in an attempt to create a video that would encapsulate the club's finals theme and generate widespread media coverage. Embrace the Hunt launched on Wednesday afternoon as the Hawks begin their quest for a fourth straight premiership," the club said.

Fast Facts About Hawks

The Raptor Trust, a foundation dedicated to preserving the hawk's population said "Hawk" is a general term used to describe the entire group of diurnal (active by day) predatory birds. There are more than 200 species of the hawk.

In general, they are very powerful and strong flyers. They have sharp, curved talons for capturing preys and strong beaks that can tear flesh. These birds predominantly feed on anything, including other birds, rabbits, rats, shrew, snakes, frogs, bats, fish, toads and lambs.