San Francisco: 'Pac-Man' hawk hired by metro system to scare pigeons away

In order to scare away pigeons, the metro system in California's San Francisco Bay Area has hired a bird of prey named Pac-Man.

It is the 5-year-old Harris hawk's duty to be on the lookout for pigeons and it has taken up the perch at El Cerrito del Norte station.

Contracting with the Bay Area Rapid Transit system (BART), Pac-Man's handler Ricky Ortiz is a falconer with Falcon Force who began patrolling with the bird at the station this summer.

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Starting their day at the bottom level entrance before scoping out the platforms, the team patrols three days a week and scares away any pigeons who are resting on a ledge or on the interior scaffolding of the station.

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According to Ortiz, "There was probably less than half of the pigeons here after the week of us flying."

He gives Pac-Man snacks throughout the day to keep his feathery friend happy on the job and to ensure that it does not feast on the pigeons or local rodents.

One of the daily riders on the route, Bethany Campbell told news agency Reuters that Pac-Man has been a hit with commuters.

Highlighting that she was first scared when she saw the hawk but now thinks it's great, Campbell said "We have family back in the Midwest and the idea of having birds here for bird eradication is just funny to them."

(With inputs from agencies)

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