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Dan Kitwood / Getty Images
Imogen Davis poses with Rufus the Hawk on day seven of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships on Monday.
Rufus, the Wimbledon hawk stolen by thieves during the first week of the tennis tournament, has been found safe and well, police in London said late Sunday.
The American Harris hawk, who deters pigeons from the All England Club, was stolen along with his box overnight between Thursday and Friday.
He was handed in to an office of the national animal charity RSPCA in Putney, south west London, and is back in his owners' hands, police said.
Ian Walton / Getty Images, file
Rufus the resident Harris Hawk keeps the courts pigeon free on Day Seven of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in this 2009 file photo.
Hopes were raised of finding him safe after the box was spotted abandoned just north of the tennis venue on Sunday afternoon.
The news was confirmed on Rufus’ personal Twitter feed, which has been silent since his disappearance except for appeals for information.
He was taken from a car parked on a private drive in a nearby residential street, with the rear window open for ventilation.
Owner Imogen Davis said that she "could not believe" that the Hawk had been found and thanked everyone for returning him safely.
Hawking was first introduced to the All England Club in 1999 as an environmentally-friendly method of pest control.
Pigeons are not the Harris Hawk's natural prey, and they are trained not to attack but to circle and fly around the courts to scare the birds.
Rufus is flown each morning and evening of the championships before and after play, but not during, to avoid any distraction.
ITV News is the UK partner of NBC News.
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Leave a Comment:
Oh, well, that is a marvelous story isn't it.
"Yea...sure"!
You condescending twit.
Couldn't find anything thing else to add like others who could care less about a good story?
No politics, nothing racial, nothing religious, no Darwinian comments, no typo's?
It is news worthy to some, not to mention a pleasure to read something that is good/nice for a change.
If you really care about an article then post it, if not get back on the porch Dog.
Hey Stunned Kiwi, you made my day LMAO!
God almighty "whatupwitdat"
I think he was serious. Get a grip. sheesh. It WAS a nice story.
Thanks Brooke, I must say that I prefer your pleasant tone to all the noise and anger.
Was my point exactly, it is a great story.
WOW! Sorry Brooke, in Ft. Lauderdale who missed the point I was trying to make, it is obvious you fail to recognize his unnecessary sarcasm about a good story.
Nice way to cover Dog! Here is your "Yea...sure"! you have been asking for.
You know where you can stuff it dickhead. No more "noise" for me - I'm flushing you down the toilet where you belong. Bye-bye!~
Finally.... a happy story.
Great to see these thieves give the All England Club the bird.
Their reply to the charge of theft was that they got the bird from a hawker.
Why would anyone leave an animal in a parked car in the summer? They are lucky someone rescued the bird.
Ever experienced an English summer? It's usually something like Mark Twain's comment about San Francisco's. The bird probably preferred the window closed!
Thank GOD the bird is alive and well.
They didn't mention if they caught the theives or not but if they do they should be put in prison for a very very long time and that is a fact.
They caught the thief. It was Obama. He said it is his bird and we all owe him a trillion dollars. He has interesting math ability - no?
Oh Rwing
STFU
I see that politics has came up again in your "nice story".
I thank YOU for proving my point Brooke!
Ironically, while a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, a cock in the bush is worth more than two in the hand.
You'll ruffle some feathers with that one.
Obama has asked the Queen of England to pay rent to fly the hawk. He believes he is greater than any Queen or King. He even asked the Queen to allow him to be a citizen of England, since he does not have a valid USA birth certificate. He said that any other country should pay his Socialist States of America for the privilege of being called a "friend of the SSA". Wow, how far we have fallen under King Obama.
First he tells the federal govt that he will make decisions on his own - without Congress.
Then he tells the Pope that all Catholics in the States have to obey HIM, not the Pope. He tells Catholics that they MUST allow abortions and allow birth control or else they will be fined by him.
Finally, he says that he has allowed all gays to marry, because he does not see any reason they should not be "allowed" the "right" to love somebody.
Wow, so glad to see his "hope and change" doing such a fine job - of killing the USA.
Nice looking hawk and girl
Gah! Gingers got an air force!!!
Or, alternative comment:
Nice looking birds! Ba-dum-dum!
whom did you look first? the girl or the hawk
Maybe this will teach those idiots not to leave the bird in their car. The hawk should have a mew to sleep in or just put his box in the house.