Original URL: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/05/24/bedfordshire_vulture_on_loose/
Enormous vulture menaces home counties
Do not approach a 'very large bird' called Emmy
Posted in Biology, 24th May 2007 10:44 GMT
One of the world's largest birds, a Ruppell's Griffin Vulture called Emmy, is on the loose in Bedfordshire after escaping from the English School of Falconry on Wednesday.
The vulturine female, which "got spooked" during a show, has a wingspan of more than three metres. The biggest specimens of Wandering Albatross, the world's largest flying bird, measure 3.7 metres across.
Local news organ Biggleswade Today reports (http://www.biggleswadetoday.co.uk/bigg?articleid=2900640) that Emmy took off during a display entitled "Out of Africa". Handler Phil Gooden said: "They've got a tremendous bite, they can cut through muscle and tissue and even bone - not that I think anyone will be able to get close enough to touch her."
He offered the BBC the following expert analysis of the bird's potential whereabouts: "I would imagine she would be in a tree, but she could be anywhere - on a building." Thermals could have taken Emmy up to 10,000ft high; Ruppell's Griffins are known to travel up to 100 miles to feed.
A complacent Mr Gooden said: "She's not really dangerous since she feeds on anything that's dead." He would do well to take note of the airbourne terror raining down on Spain (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/05/04/spanish_vultures/), where a 100-strong colony of starving vultures is attacking live farm animals. ®
Bootnote
Our home counties falconry correspondent Simon offered his own professional opinion: "They are obviously looking in the wrong place. All Reg readers know the most likely place to locate an absent vulture is down the nearest pub!"