A GOLDEN eagle is missing in the Ringwood area after being mobbed by crows during a display flight.

Gerry the golden eagle, who belongs to Liberty’s Owl, Raptor and Reptile Centre, went missing on Wednesday and has not bee found since biting off his tracker.

Managing trustee of the centre, Linda Bridges, said: “He was mobbed by crows then the wind took him and blew him off course.

“We were able to track him and saw him on an island in a big fishing lake. He stayed there all night and we took a boat over there and he had bitten his tracking device off.

“We don’t think he has gone very far which is the nature of these birds. He is not a hunting bird, has never been hunted, he is not a danger. He is not going to jump on Johnny or take the chihuahua up a tree.

“There is a lot of unfortunate circumstances, and we have a bird out there. If he turns up in someone’s garden, they will know he’s there.

“At the moment he is fine, a big bird has a lot of weight to lose before he is a danger, he will be sitting right in a tree somewhere.

“They don’t move about for fun, if they move about they are hunting and he is not a hunter.”

Linda said a lot of people have been in contact since Gerry went missing after seeing buzzards.

She added that this is not a regular occurrence but was sure Gerry was safe.

“At this time, we are confident to get him back, we have a lot of people on the lookout.

“The bird is not worth loads of money but to us he is priceless. He will be back.”