Eagle attacks toddler in Norway, gamekeeper intervenes and kills predator

A golden eagle attacked a toddler in Norway on Sunday, with her mother and a neighbour fighting the bird off repeatedly until a game warden killed it, Norwegian media reported.

The 20-month-old girl, who was playing on her family's farm in Trondelag in central Norway when the eagle swooped down on her, required stitches to the back of her head and had scratches from the eagle's talons on her face, her father told public broadcaster NRK.

"The eagle came out of nowhere and grabbed our youngest daughter," said the father, whose name was not disclosed.

"Her mother jumped up and grabbed hold of the eagle, but had to fight to get it to let go. A neighbour also had to help her and our little girl," he said.

Gamekeeper Per Kare Vinterdal, who killed the eagle, told NRK the bird saw the little girl as "prey".

He said the mother and neighbour managed to get the eagle off the girl "but it kept coming back" even though "the neighbour chased it away with a stick".