A falconer known as the ‘Human Eagle‘ is so obsessed with birds of prey that he learned to fly to be more like them.
Eagle expert Jonathan Marshall, who has reared falcons, hawks and eagles all his life, became tired of being earthbound as the fearsome hunters soared through the skies above the Devon coastline.
He now joins his feathered friends by parachuting and hangliding alongside them, hundreds of feet in the air.
As well as the small matter of learning to fly himself, he also taught Samson, a nine-year-old Golden Eagle he rescued, how to take to the skies.
Marshall also has a harris hawk and peregrine falcon, who he trains on horseback at his falconry in Sidmouth, Devon.
He said: “The paragliding and the hang gliding give you the ability to experience what it’s like to fly like the birds.
“They have a perfect design which has evolved over millions of years – they just stick their wings out and they have everything they need.
“Sometimes when I try to fly the wind does not work for me and I reckon the birds have a laugh at me.
“I reckon they think what the hell are you waiting for but as humans we are stuck on the floor.”
The Human Eagle’s story is set to appear on Preposterous Pets, a new TV show on the Animal Planet channel on Thursday, April 17th at 8pm.