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WATCH: The great island heron heist

WATCH: The great island heron heist

Thursday 15 December 2022

WATCH: The great island heron heist

Thursday 15 December 2022


A Grouville resident's fish pond has fallen prey to a dastardly spate of hit-and-run raids by a local Heron.

Jeanette Isaacs' pond has previously been hit by hostile herons, so when her fish started reducing in number, and "behaving oddly" and "hiding in the deeper part of the pond", she started to wonder if they were under attack once more.

Indeed, a sinister figure had been spotted near the scene.

"A heron has been hanging around in the field behind the garden for a few weeks but we didn’t see near the garden so we didn’t net the pond," Jeanette said.

She eventually decided to take action, setting up a night vision camera, which she would normally use to "film the hedgehogs and other nightlife", directly overlooking the pond.

The results were shocking.

WATCH: The first crime. 

Later that night, a winged-Moriarty was caught on camera filching a poor unsuspecting goldfish from the pond.

"It could only just swallow it. It had probably been doing this for weeks and spending the day in the field digesting its meal," Jeanette said.

The next day, Jeanette decided to net the pond.

While a mere net was no deterrent for the heron, the second attempted theft did not go exactly to plan. 

Watch: The second night.

Video shows the heron making his approach once again, when all of a sudden he is stopped in his tracks as the lights suddenly blare.

Fearing capture, he bolts away. He'll be back.

However, the saga was not over.

Before hanging up his beak and leaving the life of crime behind, the Heron has one last go. One last job.

 Watch: The Heron's parting gambit.

Jeanette said: "On the third night the camera was moved to a position to record it trying again. It came twice and it must have tried to get to the fish off-camera as the net was collapsed onto the water in places. It posed in front of the camera for a good closeup before leaving."

Clearly, it had been another disappointing score. 

Unfortunately for the hapless goldfish, their scales still quivering in terror, the saga may not be over yet.

Jeanette commented, ominously: "Tonight is the fourth night. Let's see what happens."

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