Flamstead hawk finally captured after terrorising village

A Harris’s hawk that has been repeatedly attacking villagers has been captured by a resident with the identical identify.

Steve Harris, 40, informed the BBC he had managed to humanely catch the hawk in his backyard in Flamstead, Hertfordshire.

The fowl, which is believed to have escaped from captivity, swooped on an estimated 50 folks in latest weeks, drawing blood from several victims.

“It is a reduction for us and the entire village,” mentioned Mr Harris, whose kids had been unable to make use of the again backyard after the hawk took up residence in considered one of their bushes.

Residents within the village initially reported being attacked by the fowl early final month with a video showing the moment it swooped down on a person.

Close by Whipsnade Zoo confirmed the fowl was not theirs, however mentioned it might not be “actively hostile towards people” except it felt threatened.

Royal Mail additionally confirmed postal deliveries had been disrupted by the fowl because it continued to assault folks.

Extra not too long ago an aged man was treated in hospital when the hawk drew blood on his head.

“Each morning, we get up and see it up within the tree, getting braver and braver,” Mr Harris continued.

“I have been working from residence watching it, pondering we have got to get this fowl gone.”

Mr Harris mentioned he acted spontaneously to seize the fowl on Thursday morning.

“It had been chasing me across the village once I went for a run, and once I acquired again it flew right down to the highest of my shed.

“The falconer had left me a cage. I used to be utilizing it to guard myself and I acquired courageous sufficient when the fowl was a couple of foot away, and I threw it excessive of it, trapping it.

“I screamed out for the falconer to return and assist, and he got here and tamed it.”

Alan Greenhalgh, a falconer from the world, helped Mr Harris entice the fowl and informed BBC Radio 4’s In the present day Programme he noticed it “terrorising two or three folks”.

“Steve got here operating out of his backyard, ‘Fast, fast, fast, I feel I’ve acquired it’,” he defined.

“I bumped into Steve’s backyard and the fowl was having a go at him once more… we managed to pay money for it earlier than it acquired unfastened and fortuitously in any other case we’d have been again to sq. one.”

Mr Greenhalgh theorised the fowl was a younger male and “hormonal”, doubtlessly being the rationale behind the assaults.

He added the fowl was “as fats as a barrel” after villagers had tried to catch it with meals over the weeks.

Fellow falconer Wayne is now caring for the hawk, which is a non-native South American species.

Wayne, who declined to offer his final identify, mentioned the hawk had been raised in captivity and the dried-out leather-based tags on its toes advised “he is been unfastened for over a yr”.

Jim Hewitt was the person taken to hospital coated in blood after he felt a “smack” on the again of his head whereas strolling to the store.

The 75-year-old mentioned he was “delighted” the hawk had been caught, and had vowed: “I will not get overwhelmed by a poxy fowl.”

Mr Harris mentioned the scenario had began to change into harmful.

“I acquired whacked over the top yesterday attempting to get into my automobile… it was attending to the stage the place it was attacking folks with consistency.”

Flamstead Parish Council thanked Mr Harris for his “fast pondering”, which noticed the fowl “trapped shortly and safely”.

A spokesperson for Hertfordshire Police mentioned that whereas police had not led the response to the assaults, a “low-level presence has been maintained within the space”.

“Rural specialist Particular Chief Inspector Steve Meredith has been facilitating communication with knowledgeable companies and native companions to try to carry the scenario to a secure conclusion,” the power mentioned.

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