The French air force has some new feathered recruits. Eagles are being trained to bring down remote-controlled drones that enter urban airspace where they aren't permitted to fly.

The training for the eagles starts before birth. The birds are placed on top of drones while still in their shells and kept there after hatching. The birds are trained to see the drones as prey and receive meat as a reward for bringing down a drone.

The use of eagles was prompted after drones flew over a French presidential palace in 2015 and sensitive military sites in 2016.

The French aren't the first to add eagles to their arsenal. Dutch police have also trained eagles to snatch drones from the sky.