Hawk named Rufus guards Wimbledon courts from pigeons

OK, so we already think hawks are pretty awesome, but what Rufus: the hawk that's trained to scare pigeons away from Wimbledon?

HLN says, "Rufus makes his rounds before and after play, but not during games to avoid distraction." BBC reports Rufus works for Avian Control Systems. Owner Wayne Davis says he contacted Wimbledon after he noticed its pigeon problem.

Davis says, "My wife, Donna, she was watching the tennis, and they were literally swiping the pigeons off the baseline there. We contacted them directly ... and they were really receptive."

And since then, hawk patrolling has been a must at Wimbledon. Rufus is just right for the job

And 6-year-old Rufus has become so well-known, at one point, someone even stole him. The Telegraph explains, "Two years ago he was stolen ... by someone who had clearly planned the attack, as they were wearing a hood and gloves. The press attention must have frightened the thief because Rufus was returned." Wimbledon wouldn't be the same without Rufus the hawk!

We're glad he was returned safely, and now he's even taken his fame online through Twitter. Rufus is actually pretty active for a taloned typist.

With the hawk busy at work, Wimbledon is in full swing.

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