Eagle Owl Controls Birds

An eagle owl named Elliot will take off above East Midland airports in an environmentally-friendly bid to keep the skies free of other birds.

Elliot will help the area's airports and airfields keeping pigeons and other airborne nuisances clear of the flight path of air traffic.

Gary Bullock, owner of Pinxton-based GB Pest Control, which is training Elliot for the job, said: "Pest control is all about stopping them getting out of hand but as a member of the Nott's Wildlife Trust I always aim to minimize the environmental impact when dealing with any problems."

"My team currently consists of dogs, ferrets, hawks and Elliot now provides a further method that is not only effective, but is nature's ways of control potentially hazardous problems."

The owl is one of the traditional methods of pest control used by the company to tackle pests. He is the latest in a line up of furry friends doing their bit to clear vermin, including a dedicated squad of terriers and ferrets.

"Essentially we don't see pest control purely as a job," said Mr Bullock. "We see it as our vocation as we care deeply about our environment, the flora and fauna, and try to ensure that we minimize our environmental impact."

"To this end although we are fully proficient with the most up to date chemical based pest control techniques, but find traditional methods equally effective, and far better for the environment."

The company does also use what it calls "more modern methods" for pest control but says it still aims to minimize the environmental impact and any suffering.

Article provided by GB Pest Control