Rhik Samadder tries … falconry: ‘Chicken wire stands between me and doom’
by Rhik Samadder from on (#5MK8W)
Eagles, falcons, vultures, owls - a close encounter with birds of prey is a riveting reminder of the gulf between them and us
The raptor spreads its wings with a piercing cry, talons stretching for me, alighting perfectly on my fist. Beauty is nothing but the beginning of terror," I whisper, quoting the poet Rilke. I've come to the Hawking Centre in Kent to try my hand at falconry because I think it might be very dignified. Something about soaring birds of prey inspires lofty thought. Unfortunately, I've been ruined by television: there's another line running insistently through my head, from the Valentine's Day episode of I'm Alan Partridge. Do you like owls? I know a cracking owl sanctuary."
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