In July of this year, an Airbus A320 was towed off the runway into a hangar near Cardiff Airport, UK. A few days later, technician Umit Athas discovered two chicks in the jet’s exhaust system.
Previously, the plane had been on the runway for about a year at a maintenance station. During that time, the birds had settled there and hatched chicks. The technicians called animal welfare. Before the rescuers arrived, they poured some water into one bowl and put some pieces of boiled chicken in the other. After 15 minutes, the food and water were gone. It is assumed that the chicks had not eaten for several days.
They turned out to be kestrel chicks. They were named Umit and Lucky, after the men who found them. The chicks were taken to the avian hospital.
“If the mechanics had started the plane’s engine, it would have ended tragically,” said a spokesman for the RSPCA Foundation, which is dedicated to rescuing animals.
Kestrel is a bird of prey in the falcon family. Adult Kestrels reach an average length of 32-35 cm, wingspan up to 80 cm, weight about 250 grams. They feed on small rodents, birds, worms and insects.
