Scottish skies clear of giant vulture menace

The Ruppell's Griffon Vulture which went awol last week from a Cumbernauld bird of prey centre has been recaptured, the BBC reports.

Gandalf, a seven-year-old female, soared away from World of Wings, prompting an alert that she posed "a genuine threat to airplanes".

In the event, she managed to avoid a mid-air collision, and was spotted over the weekend atop a telegraph pole at a disused brickworks near Falkirk.

World of Wings director David Ritchie told the BBC: "I got a phone call from a member of the public, who works as a vet. She said she had spent time in Africa and was 99% certain she was looking at a Ruppell's Griffon vulture. It could only be Gandalf."

He continued: "We went out and there she was. I think she's been hiding there. I ran in to a field opposite and threw her a dead chick to eat. She was obviously hungry and came down for it. We wrapped her in a big duvet and got her back to our van."

Gandalf is apparently none the worse for her brief flirtation with the blue yonder, as a heartwarming BBC vid shows.

She's been at World of Wings since 2006, when she was relocated from central Africa as part of a breeding programme. ®