A HAWK named Houdini which has been missing for a week has been found lurking around exotic birds at Whitgift School.
The one-year-old Harris hawk went missing from Gordon Thompson's Waddon home last Sunday (October 5) after escaping its tether.
It was spotted on numerous occasions around South Croydon but was not recaptured until this morning by security at Whitgift School, in Brighton Road, who swooped in on the bird.
Mr Thompson, 61, said he is relieved the hawk was been found – especially as it was likely to be hungry and ready to pounce on the exotic birds kept at the school.
He said: "I was worried because if he's hungry, that's what his natural instinct is to do. He may well have tried to eat them."
He said the bird is now back in its tether – this time with a double knot – although cannot figure out how he escaped in the first place.
"I've not heard of too many of his kind doing this before," he said. "He must be good at puzzles and a bit clever because he's managed to figure his way out. We'll see how he does with this one."
Mr Thompson, a heating engineer, also expressed his gratitude to Whitgift School and Graham, the school's security man who spotted the bird.
