2 Jul 2012

Missing Wimbledon hawk returned

11:40 am on 2 July 2012

A hawk named Rufus has been returned to its owners after being stolen - but this is no ordinary hawk but a highly-trained Harris Hawk used to scare pigeons away from the pristine grass courts of Wimbledon.

Rufus was stolen during the first week of the tennis tournament when he was off-duty in his cage, but is now home after being handed into offices of The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Visitors to the world's most famous tennis tournament often stop to have their picture taken with the four-and-a-half year old.