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Stolen Wimbledon hawk recovered

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Wimbledon's official hawk, Rufus, flies over the tennis court before and after the day's events to scare away pigeons. UPI/Hugo Philpott
Wimbledon's official hawk, Rufus, flies over the tennis court before and after the day's events to scare away pigeons. UPI/Hugo Philpott 
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Published: July 2, 2012 at 4:54 PM

LONDON, July 2 (UPI) -- A hawk employed to scare pigeons away from the Wimbledon tennis tournament in London has been found safe after being stolen last week.

London police said Rufus, an American Harris hawk stolen along with his box Thursday night or Friday morning from a car parked on a nearby residential street, was returned Sunday to owner Imogen Davis after he was turned in at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' office in southwest London, ITV News reported Monday.

The bird was turned in hours after his box was found empty just north of the All England Club, where the tennis tournament is held.

Officials said Rufus flies over the tennis court before and after the day's events to scare away pigeons. He is trained not to attack the birds, they said.

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