Rufus the Wimbledon anti-pigeon hawk stolen

Wimbledon - Rufus, the Harris hawk who is used to deter pigeons from the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships, has been stolen along with his cage.

Police are investigating the theft of Rufus the hawk who was stolen from a parked car in Wimbledon. According to Business week Rufus was used to patrol the skies above Wimbledon "as an environmentally friendly form of pest control." During the Wimbledon tennis fortnight Rufus is used to deter pigeons from the ground, flying every morning and evening. He does not fly during matches in case he distracts the players. Rufus is such a popular sight at Wimbledon that he even has his own Twitter account, currently boasting 1,584 followers. The Guardian reported a police spokesman appealed for help to return Rufus, who in addition to his role at Wimbledon is a much loved family pet. He said "The family has become very attached to the bird, who is now four and a half years old. They are distressed over the theft and are appealing for help to recover the bird."