TAn eagle taking down a drone. Source: Signals Daily/YouTubehe Dutch National Police have abruptly ended a program developed to train eagles to track and halt rogue drones.

The program, which began last year, was designed to help remedy increasing rogue drone traffic where operators have either lost control of their drones or the drones are being used for malicious purposes.

Originally, the program was a highly-regarded solution with one Dutch spokesperson saying: “It’s a low-tech solution to a high-tech problem.” By the end of last summer, Dutch police had 100 eagles trained and ready to hunt drones.

However, one year later, the program has encountered too many obstacles. Among them are the overall difficulty in training the birds, the unexpected cost and low demand for the program and the danger a speeding drone could pose for the birds. Additionally, concerns for public safety arose, as did complaints from animal rights activists.

"If an eagle cannot catch his prey, he may become so frustrated that he picks up something else. Eagle talons are so strong that it can easily pierce a child's head,” Robert Muster, a falconer, said last year when the program first began.

As the eagle-drone initiative is grounded, Dutch police are now forced to reconsider other solutions to the drone problem.