A hawk that has been terrorizing residents of an English village for weeks has finally been captured. The bird of prey was so menacing that even the Royal Mail said service in the area had been interrupted due to the risk to carriers. Dozens of villagers in Flamstead have reported being attacked from behind by the bird, identified as a Harris’s hawk. Some have been left bleeding and in at least one case a resident required hospital treatment. Villagers became even more concerned when the bird attacked an 11-year-old boy, and someone reported it swooping at other children walking home from school. Steve Harris said he caught the hawk on Thursday after it followed him on his daily jog before landing in his garden. The aptly named 40-year-old was determined to stop the attacks after weeks of being forced to wear a cycling helmet while out running. He managed to corner the bird, scrambling to get it onto his shed, and then threw a cage over the bird. He had previously tried to lure it into a cage with some chicken, but without success. Harris, a physiotherapist and father of two, said he hadn’t allowed his children to play in the garden for weeks because the bird would often perch in their tree. A falconer named Wayne is now taking care of the hawk. He said dried-out leather tags on the avian's feet indicate that it has likely been on the loose for over a year.
