A Harris’s hawk, which has made headlines for its aggressive behaviour towards residents in the village of Flamstead, Hertfordshire, has finally been captured after weeks of terrorising the local population. The bird, described by witnesses as “fat as a barrel,” had been dive-bombing villagers, particularly targeting tall men, and had reportedly caused injuries to at least 50 individuals since early March.

The situation escalated dramatically when an elderly man sustained serious injuries, resulting in him being left covered in blood when the hawk attacked as he attempted to enter his vehicle. This incident marked a turning point in community concern over the hawk’s actions, leading the Royal Mail to confirm that the aggressive bird had disrupted mail delivery services in the area.

The hawk had taken up residence in the garden of local resident Steve Harris, who expressed frustration over the bird’s behaviour. Speaking to the BBC, Harris described waking up each morning to find the hawk sitting in a tree, appearing increasingly bold. “I’ve been working from home watching it, thinking we’ve got to get this bird gone,” he stated.

Harris’s efforts to address the situation culminated on Thursday morning when he was chased by the hawk during a run. Upon returning to his garden, he saw the bird perched on his shed and, in a spontaneous move, he used a cage left by a local falconer as a means to trap the hawk. “When the bird was about a foot away, I threw it over the top of it, trapping it,” he said, adding that he called for help from falconer Alan Greenhalgh, who assisted in safely securing the bird.

Greenhalgh witnessed the hawk “terrorising two or three people” and was able to help Harris before the bird could escape once more. He hypothesised that the hawk’s aggressive behaviour could be linked to its youth and “hormonal” nature, a common trait observed in juvenile hawks. The weight of the bird had reportedly increased as a result of locals feeding it in an attempt to domesticate it.

The hawk’s predatory incidents garnered significant attention within the community, leading to the release of CCTV footage capturing the moment when resident Roy Lambden was attacked, further solidifying the villagers’ concerns. “I didn’t know what was happening until out of the corner of my eye I saw the hawk fly away,” Lambden recounted in an interview.

With the hawk now in captivity, the residents of Flamstead may find relief from its aggressive antics, allowing them to return to their daily routines without fear of attack from the skies.

Source: Noah Wire Services