Brora rescue centre's missing eagle owl and injured gull found

Eagle owl Maximus shares an enclosure with another owl called Victoria

A Eurasian eagle owl that was reported stolen from a bird rescue centre in the Highlands has been found.

Police had appealed for information after the owl, named Maximus, disappeared from his enclosure at Blue Highlands in Brora in Sutherland.

He went missing along with a gull named Buster sometime between 21:30 on Monday and 07:30 on Tuesday.

Staff at nearby Brora Golf Club found the gull on Wednesday and the owl at another location.

Maximus and Buster, who has an injured wing, are back at the rescue centre.

'Hearts could burst'

Buster the gull is at the centre because of an injured wing

Maximus has been reunited with Victoria, a female eagle owl he shares an enclosure with. Police said they were treating the owl's disappearance from the enclosure as theft.

Eurasian eagle owls are one of the world's largest owls and can have a wingspan of 2m (6ft).

The centre thanked police and people for their response to social media appeal for help in tracing Maximus and Buster, adding: "If hearts could burst with joy, ours would be."

Sgt Mike Gallie, of Police Scotland, said: "Inquiries are still ongoing into the circumstances of the incident which is currently still being treated as a theft."