Wimbledon in sudden crisis because of... a bird

Wimbledon appears to be facing a crisis not on the court but involving its mascot: the famous falcon named Rufus.

Rufus the bird has been the symbol of Wimbledon for the past 17 years - Photo: REUTERS

Rufus has patrolled the grounds at Wimbledon for the past 17 years with the sole task of chasing away pigeons and ensuring a peaceful space for the players to play on the grass courts for two weeks each year.

However, as Rufus grew older, succession plans began to be made. The SW19 board (as Wimbledon was nicknamed) was so impressed that they wanted Rufus's descendants to take over the job when he was no longer able to perform his duties.

This led to a search for a mate for Rufus. But his trainer, Donna, failed to convince Rufus to mate with another bird named Pamela.

This isn't the first attempt to convince the bird to continue its lineage. But Rufus has yet to produce any offspring—at least not yet.

The question of Rufus' gender has been raised, but Donna insists that she may try to convince him to mate again in the future.

"They didn't get along. Pamela is quite aggressive. It wasn't love at first sight. But maybe we could try breeding him again in the future," the 58-year-old told The Telegraph .

Asked if Rufus could be gay, Donna added: "Absolutely. I don't think it's unusual (in the bird world)."

Rufus has also been a "staffer" at other prestigious venues including Westminster Abbey, the Old Bailey and Lord's cricket ground. He has been patrolling Wimbledon since he was 16 weeks old.

"Initially, the only reason we were here was because Sampras had to use his racket to chase pigeons off the sidelines," Donna recalled.

Rufus is now housed in Brigstock, Northamptonshire, where he regularly carries out the task of chasing away pigeons – a job that humans have previously struggled with.

TUAN LONG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/wimbledon-gap-khung-hoang-bat-ngo-vi-mot-chu-chim-2025070912021765.htm