Airport relief as rogue vulture returns home

A troublesome vulture that caused an alert at an airport after escaping from a public display is back with her owners.

Seven-year-old Gandalf flew away from the event and headed for the airport last Tuesday.

A vulture escaped from a public display and caused an alert at an airport

Unlike other people who were preparing to fly that day, Gandalf wouldn’t have had to worry about airport transfers as she planned her holiday.

The female Ruppell’s Griffon vulture had been taking part at an event at the Cumbernauld-based World of Wings in North Lanarkshire.

Pilots flying into Glasgow Airport were warned about the rogue bird, airport traffic control company Nats said.

Joanna Timson, one of the falconers at World of Wings, said: “She’s back with us safe and sound. We got her back on Saturday night but we wanted a vet to check her.

“She was back in public displays today and she slept most of yesterday. She has been exhausted but she was wonderful today. She is back on form today, eating normally.

“I’m so relieved and so happy with the response from everyone that helped. It was phenomenal the amount of people who called in and those who cared.”

The conditions for flying on the day that the vulture disappeared were described as “absolutely perfect”.

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