Puppy survives bird of prey snatch bid

A puppy was almost snatched from a garden in Wetherby this week - by a bird. Six-month-old miniature dachshund Pepé managed to escape the clutches of what was thought to be a red kite, which had swooped down on him from above.

Owner Ann Eldred, who was just a few feet away in her garden in Hunters Walk, said she was astonished the bird would attempt to pick up something so big from a domestic garden. "I'd just gone into the greenhouse," said Mrs Eldred. "If I hadn't just popped back out at that moment, he might have been gone. But he's a quick little puppy and he whizzed away."



Although uninjured, Pepé was obviously scared by the attack on Tuesday morning and jumped at every noise for the rest of the day. Red kites usually eat anything from worms to very small mammals, but predominantly prey on carrion - things which are already dead.

Mrs Eldred now wants to warn other pet owners to beware of birds of prey searching for food in urban areas. "It's strange that they are coming into a built-up area," she said. "They're beautiful birds, but I don't think I want to see another one."