A total of 80. Yes, this flight booked by an Arabian prince counted 80 birds of prey among its passengers. A picture of this bizarre, but actual situation has gone insanely viral online. All these falcons, who are trained to hunt game had their own seats on the flight.

 

The photo shows a flock of blindfolded falcons seated in rows on a plane amidst other (human) passengers, each one seemingly tied down securely to the seats. The photo was apparently taken by the pilot himself. Reddit user @lensoo captioned the photo thus "My captain friend sent me this photo. Saudi prince bought ticket for his 80 hawks."

 

 

It isn't that uncommon for these birds of prey to be seen on flights in the Middle East. In fact, the airlines of the region have specific rules and accommodation charges related to such pet animals and birds. These birds also have passports, just like us ordinary mortals that need to be stamped at immigration. This is apparently to prevent smuggling or trafficking of endangered wildlife.

 

Here is a video from a similar incident reported in 2014.

 

 

Falconry is a popular, though elitist sport in this part of the world. Forget finicky babies - imagine being seated next to one of these mid-air, under constant watch of those beady eyes.

 

And come to think of it, on a flight or not - no wall could stop them anyway – right? Hope everyone abroad had a good flight, though.