Saudi Arabia captures Israeli 'spy vulture'

Saudi Arabian security services have captured a vulture that is suspected of being a Mossad spy sent over by Israel to gather information about the country. The large bird, which was carrying a GPS transmitter and a tag bearing the identification code R65 from Tel Aviv University, strayed into rural Saudi Arabian territory at some point last week.

Residents and local reporters said that the matter seemed to be linked to a "Zionist plot" and swiftly alerted security services. The bird has since been placed under arrest.

The accusations went viral with hundreds of posts on Arabic-language websites and forums claiming that the "Zionists" had trained the birds for espionage. The incident comes amid growing paranoia among Israel's neighbours over the nation's growing military might.

Several weeks ago an Egyptian official reportedly claimed that a shark that attacked tourists off the coastal resort of Sharm el Sheikh was also acting on behalf of the Israeli spy service. The Israeli authorities said the bird's activities were much more innocent and that it was in fact part of a long-term academic study of the migratory habits of the vulture.