Wimbledon hired a hawk to scare the pigeons away

By Jason G. Goldman From Animals io9

Wimbledon Hired A Hawk To Scare The Pigeons

The Wimbledon tennis championships started today, and if you pay close attention, you might notice an unexpected employee keeping the riff-raff of the courts: a hawk named Rufus.

Every morning, from 5-9am, Rufus patrols the skies above Wimbledon and scares away any pigeons. And he’s been at it for fourteen years.

Lucky for the pigeons, its a humane process. They’re not killed, only scared away. At Nerdist, Kyle Hill explains:

“Raptors like Rufus—large predatory birds that include eagles, hawks, and falcons—are nothing to mess with. Whether it is scaring pigeons or throwing goats from cliffs, raptors have the speed, vision, and strength to contend with all but the largest game (look at this eagle’s claw for goodness’ sake). All raptors also have ratchet tendons, which allow the birds to effectively lock their claws shut and maintain enormous grip pressures with bone notches and interlocking tendons.

“None of that is good news for the pigeons that Rufus keeps out of Wimbledon, but Rufus isn’t a killer. According to a recent Reddit AMA with Rufus’ handler, “Rufus is a non-lethal deterrent which is based on the fact that pigeons have an innate sense of fight or flight, and they don’t hang around very long to fight when they see his talons!”

Not one to be left out of a trend, Rufus has an official twitter account: https://twitter.com/RufusTheHawk

ICAP: XXI Latin American and Caribbean Cuba Solidarity and Volunteer Work Brigade

By JSC: Jamaicans in Solidarity with Cuba From You Handle Elders

“Imagine World Peace”

From 28 July to 10 August 2014

The Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples invites you to participate in the XXI edition of the Latin American and Caribbean Cuba Solidarity and Volunteer Work Brigade. As in previous editions, it will be integrated by delegations from Central America, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Dominican Republic and English, French and Dutch speaking Caribbean countries.

The brigade’s aim is to provide a wider understanding of Cuban reality as well as carrying out some voluntary work sessions, as a support to agricultural development and productive sphere in our country.

The program includes visits to historical, economical, cultural and social places, not only in Havana but also in other provinces, lectures about national issues as well as meetings with representatives of Cuban organizations.

The activities of the brigade will be carried out from July 28th to August 10th, 2014 in Havana, Artemisa and Ciego de Ávila provinces.

Information

Staying includes 14 nights, 10 in the International Camp Julio Antonio Mella (CIJAM) located in the municipality of Caimito, 45 km from Havana City and 4 nights in tourist facilities in Ciego de Ávila province. It will cost $340.00CUCwhich includes accommodation in shared rooms for up to 6 people in CIJAM, three meals daily, transfer in-out and transportation to all program activities.

Agricultural work sessions will be carried out in areas near CIJAM. The camp, founded in 1972, has appropriate conditions for community life and for satisfying needs of friends who visit us from around the world.

The increasing participation in the brigade of a growing number of friends from Latin American and Caribbean countries, show not only their motivation to know Cuba, but also how solidarity with Cuba is extending all over the world encouraged by the commitment that awakens Cuban Revolution in its struggle against the blockade imposed by U.S.A imperialism and our right to exist as an independent and sovereign nation.

You are invited

Members of the brigade, once registered, are committed to fulfill the program, behave appropriately, be disciplined and respect the rules of coexistence.

We would be very glad to have your participation in this XXI edition of the Latin American and Caribbean Cuba Solidarity and Volunteer Work Brigade, so you are cordially invited to participate.

Registrations are open for those interested until July 10th, 2014. We will be glad if you can inform us about your date, time and number of your flight as well as your personal information (name, passport number) for your registration in the Brigade.

Interested individuals or groups may send information to [email protected] and [email protected]

See you then!

Fraternally,

Barbara Iglesias Lima.

Head of the XXI Latin American and Caribbean Brigade.

For more on this story go to: http://youthandeldersja.wordpress.com/2014/06/28/xxi-latin-american-and-caribbean-cuba-solidarity-and-volunteer-work-brigade/