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By Christian Fraser
United Kingdom - BBC News, Rome
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![http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/999999.gif]()
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![A golden eagle (archive image)]()
The golden eagle was once the symbol of the Roman army
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The airport
operator in the southern Italian port city of Bari has recruited a golden
eagle to help keep the runway free of wildlife.
In
the past few months there have been several occasions when the control tower
has closed the runway because foxes were hunting dangerously close.
But
now they have turned to one of the world's prodigious hunters.
The
symbol of the mighty Roman legions has become a new standard - in
environmental pest control.
At
dawn and dusk Bari's airport fields are a rich hunting ground for mice and
rabbits.
But
now there is a new and rather imposing shadow descending over the airfield,
and one that terrifies foxes.
Getting
to grips
Cheyenne,
a six-month-old golden eagle reared in Germany, has a 2m (6ft) wing span, and
can lift 18kg (40lb) - almost three times her body weight.
The
airport operator is hoping she will spread enough fear to ensure the foxes
stay the right side of the perimeter fence, particularly when their cubs
arrive in a few months' time.
Bari
caters for almost two million passengers a year, so closing the runway can
prove extremely expensive.
In
the US, they have used ultrasound, poison and traps but this is thought to be
the first time an airport has turned to such a sizeable bird of prey.
Though
at $15,000 (£7,500) a bird, some airports might consider it an
expensive luxury.
Training
is almost over and the first test flight is expected in a week's time.
From
then on, Cheyenne will be left to get to grips with her new job.
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