Probe opens after stolen Wimbledon hawk found

London Evening Standard/London

Rufus, the Harris Hawk, with his owner Imogen Davis at the All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, yesterday

Rufus the harris hawk was back on Centre Court yesterday as police investigated whether he was stolen by pigeon lovers.Wimbledon’s official “bird scarer” who makes his presence felt around the most famous tennis court in the world, was returned to its owners on Sunday night after being missing for three days.The investigation was looking into whether the four-year-old hawk was taken by a member of the public anxious about the welfare of his pigeon prey.Falconer Wayne Davies said: “It would be a bizarre reason to have taken Rufus, but that is what the police have told me. I’m just glad he is back and is shipshape. He is ready to go back to work. We have missed him.”Rufus was taken in his travel box from the back of a car, parked close to the All England Club, and Davies said he was certain it was a planned theft.“The car was on a private drive and away from public view. I feel somebody may have been watching us each day and waiting for the chance to take him.”Wimbledon requires a hawk to keep pigeons at bay as they can interrupt play. Rufus even has his own security pass.Rufus’s work was carried out by Davies’s second hawk Hector yesterday as he was given the day off. After nationwide appeals for Rufus’s return he was found on Wimbledon Common and then handed to the RSPCA at Putney.The publicity surrounding his kidnap is believed to have led to him being dumped late on Saturday evening.Co-handler Imogen Davies, 25, Davies’ daughter said yesterday: “He is back on Centre Court where he belongs and he is truly a little star. He loves the cameras and is quite used to it as he has been filmed many times and appeared on Blue Peter.“I am overwhelmed by the amount of good wishes we received before he was returned and the love people have for him.” A police source said: “There is always that chance it was stolen to order. It is a possibility being looked at.”