The vulture next door causes bit of a carrion
Neighbours in flap over rescued bird
A HUGE vulture said to look like “a creature from the pits of hell” is terrifying locals by gate-crashing garden tea parties.
Alan Wells, who rescued the giant bird and named him Gilbert, says that despite his impressive size and five-foot wingspan he is merely inquisitive and just wants to say hello.
But neighbours beg to differ. One said: “It’s probably one of the most terrifying experiences of my life.
“Walk out the front door, turn around and there’s this creature, almost like it’s come from the pits of hell, and I find out it’s a bird called Gilbert.”
Another said: “He’s not pretty. He sits on my bins and, frankly, he flutters around and it’s pretty scary.”
But Alan, 62, who runs Pitcombe Rock Falconry, near Bruton, Somerset, said: “It’s not every day you get a turkey vulture come and land in your garden.”
He explained that the birds can easily travel 10 miles but never attack living creatures, much preferring carrion. And he added: “The thought of him landing in gardens never entered my head.
“People have been out there having tea and he’s come right up, investigating the crumbs on the floor.
“I can’t really predict where he’s gonna go. He’ll go quite a distance and come home when he’s finished.
“He’s coming to your gardens because there’s something of interest in there. It isn’t children playing or small pets, it will be a smell – usually from a dustbin.
“I would say to people that it’s a privilege to have Gilbert in your garden.
“Enjoy him, see a little bit of nature you wouldn’t normally see.
“If he’s being a nuisance, call me and I will collect him. He has a GPS tag, so I know where he is all the time. He only eats dead stuff so your guinea pig or rabbits are perfectly safe.”
Gilbert had been bound for a Czech zoo but Alan adopted him when it closed during the pandemic.