Wimbledon hawk handler dismisses succession crisis

Rufus's handler Donna Davis said the harris hawk "didn't hit it off" with a previous mate

The handler of a hawk used to scare pigeons away from Wimbledon has played down concerns of a succession crisis.

Rufus, an American Harris hawk raised in Brigstock, Northamptonshire, has been responsible for keeping the courts pest-free for 17 years.

However, a report in The Telegraph said the raptor had failed to breed.

Donna Davis, Rufus's handler, said an attempt was made to breed him with another bird named Pamela, but it was "not love at first sight".

She said: "It was in lockdown that we thought let's see if Rufus will breed with Pamela, they didn't hit it off. We decided to try and get a different suitor for him."

When asked by BBC Radio Northampton's Annabel Amos if another potential mate had been identified, Ms Davis said: "I haven't looked, but if there are any females that are not his bloodline then yeah we could try, couldn't we?"

Rufus first patrolled Wimbledon in 2008, when he was only 16 weeks old

Rufus, 17, has patrolled the courts at Wimbledon since the 2008 championships when he was 16 weeks old.

He was raised by Brigstock-based Avian Environmental Consultants, which supplies "bird control services" to landmarks, shopping centres and warehouses.

The firm began working with Wimbledon in 1999 after pigeons disrupted matches at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.

"I was watching the final with [Pete] Sampras and he had to keep batting pigeons off the baseline and at several critical points.

"I decided to give them [Wimbledon] a call and help them out."

Pigeons ruled the roost at Wimbledon before Brigstock-based Avian Environmental Consultants intervened

Rufus also works to scare pigeons away from other sites including Westminster Abbey, Lord's Cricket Ground and the Old Bailey, among others.

Harris Hawk live for between 25-35 years and Ms Davis previously said Rufus was expected to continue working "as long as he's in good health".