Police have captured a bird of prey which flew into a house in Preston.
Lancashire police’s wildlife officers were called after the bird, a
harris hawk, swooped into the property in Ingol on Tuesday and attacked a
man.
A police spokesman said: “The caller reported that they had been
attacked in their house by an eagle. On our arrival the householder had
managed to get hold of the bird, sustaining only very minor injuries in
the process, and we quickly identified it as being a harris hawk rather
than an eagle.
“It appears to have followed him into the house as he returned home.
Harris hawks are not native to the UK but are one of the most common hawks kept by falconers here.
They occur naturally in central and South America but are bred here in captivity.
This one was wearing jesses (leather foot straps) which a falconer would put on the bird to handle it.
“It is likely to have flown off from its owner having either been blown off course by wind, distracted by prey or was full (they are usually trained to return to the glove for a food reward, which they won’t do if they’ve just eaten.” Police cared for the bird overnight before transferring it to a specialist centre. They are trying to trace the owner.
“It appears to have followed him into the house as he returned home.
Harris hawks are not native to the UK but are one of the most common hawks kept by falconers here.
They occur naturally in central and South America but are bred here in captivity.
This one was wearing jesses (leather foot straps) which a falconer would put on the bird to handle it. “It is likely to have flown off from its owner having either been blown off course by wind, distracted by prey or was full (they are usually trained to return to the glove for a food reward, which they won’t do if they’ve just eaten.” Police cared for the bird overnight before transferring it to a specialist centre. They are trying to trace the owner.
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