Vulture returns to Giggleswick after 18 months in Borders (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Vulture returns to Giggleswick after 18 months in Borders

7:00pm Saturday 16th October 2010 in Giggleswick news

A griffon vulture which went missing from its home in Giggleswick has returned – after spending more than a year on the Scottish borders.

The five-year-old female bird, one of just 10 of its kind in the country, went missing from the Yorkshire Dales Falconry and Conservation Centre in April last year.

She had been taking part in a display at the centre when she was caught in high winds.

A few weeks later, her mate also went missing, but he was recovered shortly afterwards in Brighton.

But despite being spotted on the roof of Austwick Church, she was last seen heading towards Kirkby Lonsdale and remained missing until two weeks ago, when a visitor at the centre mentioned a vulture who had turned up in Berwick-upon-Tweed.

The 3ft-high bird, with an 8ft wingspan and weighing 13lb, had flown 160 miles to the Scottish borders and has spent the last 18 months at the Border School of Falconry.

Centre owner Andy Duran said he was called out by the RSPCA after a man had contacted them claiming to have a vulture in his garden.

“I was expecting a heron or something like that, but when I arrived, there was this vulture sunbathing in his tree,” he said.

He eventually managed to catch the bird using a leg of venison and a fox trap.

He said: “There was no way I could have found out who she belonged to; she had no rings or jesses and was not microchipped. I called the police and the RSPCA, but got nowhere."

Then, out of the blue, he got a phone call from the Yorkshire Dales Falconry Centre, and last week drove the four-and-a-half hour trip to take her back.

Now the bird is safely home and getting used to being back in Giggleswick.

Centre owner Carol Petrie said they were delighted to have her back – although there would be a strict ban on flying her in displays for a while.

The bird has even been given a new name – originally called Dumber, she was rechristened Georgie by Andy when he found her.

“It’s a much nicer name, and we’ve given her partner a new name too – he’s now George,” Mrs Petrie said.