Stolen hawk found, two arrested

A harris hawk stolen from Scottburgh’s Crocworld Conservation Centre was found and safely returned to the popular tourist attraction recently.

Last month, the hawk and a breeding pair of jackal buzzards, as well as a chick, were stolen.

A joint effort by concerned locals and police resulted in the location of the hawk, and two suspects were arrested last Tuesday and are being charged with business burglary and theft.

The hawk was found tied to a roof, and it is believed that she hadn’t been given much food or water since she was taken.

Unfortunately, one of the jackal buzzards was found dead, and the other two are still missing. The jackal buzzards were part of a breeding programme to ensure the survival of the threatened animal species. The chick was due to be released later in the year.

“We extend a huge appreciation to the Amahlongwa Community Forum, the Umkomaas Saps detectives and the Umzinto Saps K9 unit for their concerted efforts in resolving this case,” said James Wittstock, manager of Crocworld.

The public is requested to keep an eye out for the two missing birds, and Crocworld asks for anyone to come forward with information pertaining to this case.

The hawk is slowly but surely getting back to her normal self now that she is at the conservation centre.

Crocworld will also be enhancing security measures to prevent further incidents, including the erection of an electric game fence to safeguard wildlife.

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