hoarce

Horace

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When I arrived at 12 Signals Unit I found out that the unit looked after a vulture called Horace who had a badly damaged wing. In fact the flight muscle had been removed so there was no way the bird was going to fly again. He used to terrorise the Earth Station when he got out of his enclosure and it was usually left up to me to get him back in. We developed quite a relationship over the 3 years I spent looking after him. I used to bath him, take him for walks around the compound and the occasional trip to the vets. I even took him to the vulture restaurant on the cliffs as part of a conservation effort to save the remaining vultures in Cyprus. 3 months before I was due to leave Horace laid an egg to everyone's surprise and we re-named her Harriet. I have not seen her since I left in April 1993 and was upset to hear that she has recently died. I still have fond memories of the fun we had especially the day she managed to bite a RAF Policeman. He was not to impressed especially when I said I was going to have to take the bird for a tetanus shot in case he had infected her. Here are some photographs:

Horace on the water tank. You can clearly see the damaged wing.

Who is that over there?

Graeme your feet look like they need a pecking.

Alright I will have a go at this cable instead.

I said no pictures!

Horace as most people do not remember him, chilling out in the Cypriot sun.