A crested serpent eagle, an officially protected species in Taiwan, made its way into a residential home this past weekend.

At a home in Nantou County’s Zhongliao Township, an unexpected visitor recently appeared. This past Sunday evening, a crested serpent eagle wandered into the living room, circling to and fro between the sofa and the cabinet. 

The eagle stopped by around 5 p.m., when the residents of the home were all out to dinner. Its activities were captured on their home security camera, which showed the eagle lingered for four hours.

Crested serpent eagles are large birds of prey, quite common in Taiwan and listed as a protected species under the Wildlife Conservation Act.

The family initially worried about the animal’s condition, assuming it might have flown in because it was injured. They called emergency services, but it being the weekend, the relevant agencies were temporarily unavailable. They ended up posting online looking for help.

One expert explained that in an event like this, people should avoid touching the animal and find a suitably sized cardboard box to contain it. If it can fly, then just leave the door open and let it find its way out. 

Sure enough, their feathered visitor flew away on its own shortly after the family returned home and opened the doors and windows.

Hanna Bilinski for Rti News