How many of you have seen a bald eagle, the famous bird of prey residing in North America? Probably a fair few: its unique, instantly recognizable outline and huge geographical range mean that one can be seen pretty much all throughout the United States and half of Canada. Upping the stakes a little, how many of you have taken a selfie with one? We’re guessing probably none – unless you’re the two Canadian brothers who did just that last week, as reported by BBC News.

Michael and Neil Fletcher were hunting together nearby Ontario’s Windy Lake last Tuesday when they stumbled across the bald eagle caught in a hunting trap. They tried to free it, but the fearsome aerial predator wasn’t being particularly cooperative.

“When we got close to the bird, it tried to fly away. So I took my hoodie off and put it around its head, it calmed it right down,” Michael Fletcher told NBC News. While they kept it calm, the trap was slowly pried open. 

Once freed, the brothers decided that this was an opportunity too good to miss, and they photographed their good deed with the previously ensnared bird. Although it doesn’t look particularly happy in the photograph, it was probably fairly relieved to have been released.

After a slightly awry take-off, the bald eagle flew off into the chilly, blue skies and disappeared from view.