Watch Siberian tigers take down a flying drone

Drones: they annoy and amuse humans, mostly annoy kangaroos, and apparently greatly intrigue Siberian tigers. A new video shows a pack of such tigers chasing around a flying drone, doing so like big cats trying to catch a laser dot, when one eventually yanks it from the sky. It seems at first the tigers are moving in to swiftly destroy the drone, but their instincts quickly give away to curiosity and, it seems, confusion.

The video below shows a big pack of Siberian tigers located in China's Heilongjiang Province roaming around in the snow. They seem relaxed enough until a small quadcopter drone appears, catching their attention.

The tigers' responses weren't unlike that of a curious house cat about to pounce on some new prey. The tigers prance after the drone, tails bouncing, trying to get a good look at it. At one point, a tiger leaps and takes down the drone. Others pounce on it, and two bite the drone.

The predator instinct gives away to curiosity a moment later, and the group mills about, sniffing and inspecting the drone. After a few more moments, though, the drone began to smoke, spooking the tigers. Once they were far enough away to safely do so, staff members of the park in which the tigers are located recovered the drone.