Hawks to Guard New Elephant & Castle Centre

The upcoming Elephant and Castle shopping centre, a £500m mixed-use development, will employ hawks as a primary strategy to control pigeon populations. This approach aims to prevent the recurring issues experienced at the original 1960s mall, which was demolished in 2021. The new centre, named The Elephant, is designed to be a vibrant town centre featuring shops, housing, a cinema, and educational facilities.

The developer has committed to implementing site-wide bird prevention measures, including regular hawking sessions. This method utilizes birds of prey as a humane deterrent, as confirmed by falconry experts. Falconry is noted as being more effective than conventional methods like netting or sonic deterrents, which pigeons can eventually ignore.

Previous attempts to manage pigeon infestations at the old site included unconventional methods and long-standing issues with bird populations. The use of hawks and falcons has a precedent in London, with successful applications at locations like Trafalgar Square and major railway stations, as well as at Wimbledon.