People in Dereham should keep their eyes open after a bird of prey with small mammals at the top of its menu escaped from its owner's garden. 

The Harris Hawk, owned by Jim Gordon and Alex Bolton, escaped from their house in the town on Saturday (May 13).

The five-year-old male - called Tuck after the Second World War pilot Robert Stanford Tuck -  has been spotted on Neatherd Moor and in other various locations since his escape.

Dereham Times: The Harris Hawk has been sighted at Neatherd Moor since its escape on Saturday, May 13.The Harris Hawk has been sighted at Neatherd Moor since its escape on Saturday, May 13. (Image: © Archant Norfolk 2013)

Mr Gordon said: "We're really hoping that he's going to get hungry enough to come back and get some food.

"Although we know that it will probably eat whatever it can get - and will definitely hunt as many rats as it can."

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The hawk can be distinguished by a disfigured talon on its right foot after a hunting injury.

Harris Hawks breed in the southwestern United States and South America. 

Their carnivorous diet consists of small creatures including birds, lizards, mammals, and large insects.