A PEST control company says it is ‘90 per cent certain’ a hawk that went missing in Hemel Hempstead four years ago was recovered.
The Harris hawk was brought to the town in a bid to reduce the number of pigeons plaguing Marlowes by scaring them off.
But shortly after arriving with a handler, the bird failed to return and months later was understood to be living wild.
Duncan Jones, marketing manager for NBC Bird and Pest Solutions, said the handler involved had since left the company.
“As far as I am aware the Harris hawk was tracked down,” he said. “When a bird goes missing it’s hell for leather to find it because they are worth thousands of pounds.”
He said though the hawks were capable of covering hundreds of miles they had electronic tags and there was a register if missing birds.
The scheme in 2008, costing £9,000 of taxpayers’ cash, also caused controversy when shoppers including children watched in dismay as a hawk attacked a duck.