Wimbledon is the perfect place for crowds of people to gather for a sporting event, but some of our feathered friends (pigeons, ahem ahem) have other ideas on how to make better use of these perfect roosting grounds. As a result, Wimbledon has been plagued by "unwanted" visitors for over a decade.
Luckily, the Wimbledon staff has a very special member of security on its side with a real hawk-eye.
Rufus is a six-year-old woodland hawk who has been keeping watch over the grounds for the last 14 years to make sure no one steps on his turf, unless invited. Handled by falconer, Imogen Davis, the one-pound, six-ounce hawk patrols the skies from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., letting the pigeons know they are not welcomed.
"Two years ago he was stolen, which was the biggest disaster I could ever predict," Davis told The Telegraph. "...The press attention must have frightened the thief because Rufus was returned on the Sunday, but it was the worst weekend imaginable and I don’t let him out of my sight now."
The video above, presented by The Perfectionists for Stella Artois, pays tribute to Rufus and acknowledges his hard work and contributions to making Wimbledon run without any ruffled feathers.
Luckily, the Wimbledon staff has a very special member of security on its side with a real hawk-eye.
Rufus is a six-year-old woodland hawk who has been keeping watch over the grounds for the last 14 years to make sure no one steps on his turf, unless invited. Handled by falconer, Imogen Davis, the one-pound, six-ounce hawk patrols the skies from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., letting the pigeons know they are not welcomed.
"Two years ago he was stolen, which was the biggest disaster I could ever predict," Davis told The Telegraph. "...The press attention must have frightened the thief because Rufus was returned on the Sunday, but it was the worst weekend imaginable and I don’t let him out of my sight now."
The video above, presented by The Perfectionists for Stella Artois, pays tribute to Rufus and acknowledges his hard work and contributions to making Wimbledon run without any ruffled feathers.
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