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    The Sideshow

    Farmer caught spray-painting hawks as part of “prank” on bird-watchers

    Hopes for a new species of hawk turned out to be a case of animal abuseA New Zealand farmer has been caught spray-painting hawks in a pinkish-red hue as part of a "prank" on bird-watchers who were hoping to have discovered a new species of bird.

    Grant Michael Teahan has been found guilty on two charges of ill-treating an animal, according to the Manawatu Standard.

    The mystery began in early 2009, when locals began snapping pictures of the strangely colored hawks and sending them to the local newspaper. It was only after on of the hawks was accidentally hit by a car that the spray-painting ruse was discovered.

    An investigation by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) failed to turn up a culprit until Teahan asked his nephew to send a video clip to the media of him catching a magpie in a trap covered in the spray paint. When police seized computers from Tehan's property, they found deleted pictures and video relating to "red hawks."

    "Various people got involved, like experts who thought maybe it was a new strain or a new type of bird or whatever, but then feathers were being found and it was obvious somebody was actually painting these hawks," Palmerston North SPCA manager Danny Auger told the Standard.

    Teahan is appealing his conviction.

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    • Donald  •  Houston, Texas  •  4 mths ago
      Yeah.....but that doesn't explain the lipstick and mascara on his sheep !! Hm-m-m-m?
    • donny  •  Boston, Massachusetts  •  4 mths ago
      someone should spray paint the Kardashians
      • EinSchlachter 4 mths ago
        No need to because they do it themselves.
      • jason 4 mths ago
        I love that, so far, this hasn't' received 1 thumbs down.
      • sallyann s 4 mths ago
        Don't they photoshop most of their stuff anyways
    • cowgirl  •  Paris, Texas  •  4 mths ago
      If i get caught fooling people with my bigfoot suit, will i get into trouble?
      • nighthawk 4 mths ago
        I am not sure, just make sure that the person finding you is not carrying a rifle or you may find yourself shot and stuffed.
      • Houghton 4 mths ago
        Dear "cow" girl, I assume you have never investigated or encountered a bigfoot? Until then, do not mock the unknown. please.
      • M 4 mths ago
        Have you ever seen one yourself??? There is no "unknown" Just childish ghost stories that keep bored people entertained.
    • snatchum  •  4 mths ago
      If you were wondering, the flying hawk in the picture is a Red-Shouldered Hawk (UNPAINTED).
      • M 4 mths ago
        I prefer my Red-shouldered hawks with racing stripes.
      • Tim Yeakel 4 mths ago
        SNATCHUM: You have to tell a Coo Koo bird what kind of hawk that is? I doubt the hawk is worried his pic was pirated. He was just glad that wasnt a firearm pointed at him.
      • worried for our world. 4 mths ago
        I think a beenie would go PERFECT with that red shoulder, don't you!
    • shodan  •  Eugene, Oregon  •  4 mths ago
      James Audubon killed thousands of birds in order to compile his collection of illustrations. To this day he is hailed as a conservationist. Timing is everything.
      • Iggy 4 mths ago
        but through his cataloging of the birds he encouraged avian study and conservation of bird species and their environment
      • I 4 mths ago
        Does that make him any less of animal terrorist?
      • Ga Tor 4 mths ago
        Isn't that what the Japanese whalers say they are doing in the antarctic? Why are the sea shepherds so upset?
    • B.  •  Tampa, Florida  •  4 mths ago
      It's a lot more fun to get up early Saturday monings and rearrange all the Garage Sale signs...
    • sam  •  San Francisco, California  •  4 mths ago
      I think it would have been better if he made them wear little hats. I would go bird watching if they wore little hats.
    • country girl  •  4 mths ago
      I'm wondering how he caught the birds to begn with, they are pretty clever birds, it must have been a feat to catch them, paint them and release them, not too mention their talons and beaks coud do quite a bit of damage if not handled properly
    • box of rocks  •  4 mths ago
      I once chased a redcrested, webfooted, largreclaw,lakeloon, only to find out it was a redcrested, webfooted,largeclaw,riverloon, you can only imagine my disapointment.
    • dvl  •  4 mths ago
      where's the credit to the copyright holder of that hawk photo? PIRATED CONTENT!
    • Bandit Bite  •  Montgomery, Alabama  •  4 mths ago
      New Zealand
      Where men are men
      and sheep are scared.
    • Shlumgullya  •  4 mths ago
      True story from 20 years ago :

      I once spent a good hour chasing (and finally catching) a Cicada with a metallic-pink head --- obviously a rare mutation that I had to have. Upon close inspection, it turned out to be finger-nail polish. Some kid in the neighborhood had caught it earlier, then painted and released it !

      D*a*m*n.....
    • Mental Model  •  4 mths ago
      God luck for the farmer it wasn't a black bird, it would have been a hate crime.
    • Kristi  •  4 mths ago
      Not condoning it, but isn't it ironic that he was able to capture, paint and safely return it to the wild and then it gets nailed by a car?
    • Brent  •  Greenville, South Carolina  •  4 mths ago
      Slow day on the farm, Jethro?
    • broncosgodess  •  La Porte, Indiana  •  4 mths ago
      some people have way too much time on their hands.
    • jig  •  Salt Lake City, Utah  •  4 mths ago
      I love it. I am going to catch some grizzly bears and paint them black and white make people think they are Pandas maybe some wolves clip them so they look like poodles.
    • Jimbo  •  San Diego, California  •  4 mths ago
      It's good to know that American's don't have a monopoly on morons.
    • A Yahoo! User  •  Oak Brook, Illinois  •  4 mths ago
      You can paint a bird and get arrested but you can film "animal porn" with human bestiality and not get arrested?....interesting society we live in.
    • Phillip  •  4 mths ago
      I once got arrested when a hawk hit my car while driving on the freeway! After hitting my car it flew up and smashed the window of police car that was behind me....

      My arrest warrant was for "flipping the bird"... Unreal.
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