Who is Rufus, you may ask? What does a hawk have to do with Wimbledon?
Well, in fact, everything!
Rufus is they say, the perfect athlete. Up at 5 AM, he is hungry, hungry for that pigeon that could very well destroy a fabled tennis match.
He purposely does not eat upon waking, no need for a full belly when he is hunting (sound like Novak Djokovic when he competes? Will not eat a thing before he goes on court, a full tummy will slow him down).
Such is the beginning of the day for Rufus, majestic in his world, he prepares the courts for the greatness that lies ahead~
Species? Rufus is a Harris Hawk, known for its social qualities and ability to be tamed all the while maintaining its status as a predator. As a bird of prey the Harris Hawk is trained whereby the person that flies the hawk is known in German as an austringer (as compared to the falconer who flies a falcon).
Rufus weighs 1 pound, 5 ounces. A lean machine!
In 2012 Rufus was actually stolen, but fortunately found and life continues as usual. Click here for the Wimbledon 2012 press release.
His official job at Wimbledon? Bird Scarer.
Now, Rufus has his Twitter handle, @RufusTheHawk.
You also can find him on FaceBook~
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| photo courtesy of Getty Images |
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