Prestwick Airport hires hawk
02.05.08
A bird of prey has been hired to help improve safety at Prestwick Airport in Scotland. Jasper, a four-year-old Harris hawk has been unveiled as the latest weapon used to scare away seagulls at the Ayrshire hub.
A colony of hundreds of seagulls, which pose a threat to aircraft, have taken up residence on the roof of the nearby Scottish Water building - and a series of other efforts has failed to shift them. Special netting installed a month ago led to a number of birds being trapped and injured. Pest controllers have even tried installing fake hawks. Now they hope the real thing will do the job.
Jasper, who will frighten the gulls rather than kill them, is seen as a humane way to deal with the problem. He will circle the building and its surrounding area to try and scare away the seagulls, who habitually use the roof as a breeding ground. He will be used at points during the breeding season to encourage the birds to nest, and hopefully settle, elsewhere.
Steve Thomson, airfield operations manager at Prestwick Airport, added: ‘The action Scottish Water is taking is excellent because the gull colony that was there was a severe hazard because it was so close to our runways.’ The method of dealing with problem has been welcomed by the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelly to Animals (SSPCA).
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