A magpie which became stuck in a Sainsbury’s superstore has been safely removed, a spokesperson said.<\/p>\n
Shoppers had been spotting the magpie in the rafters of the Godalming supermarket, with one person having created a Facebook profile for the bird using AI generated images<\/a>.<\/p>\n Several attempts were made to safely remove the bird, including deploying decoy magpies, before the operation was successfully completed earlier this week, the BBC understands.<\/p>\n A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “We are grateful to our customers for their patience while we resolved the situation.”<\/p>\n Following its safe capture, the magpie is expected to be monitored before being released into the wild.<\/p>\n Staff at the store had been battling to catch the bird for a number of weeks over safety concerns for the magpie, as well as heath and safety fears.<\/p>\n Bird welfare experts described magpies as “very intelligent and hard to catch”.<\/p>\n As magpies are legally protected from being harmed, anyone wishing to remove the bird must first apply for a licence to do so.<\/p>\n The licence allows for the use of cages or net traps to catch the birds, before safely releasing them into the wild.<\/p>\n Waverley Borough Council, which previously said it was working with the supermarket to help with the capture of the bird, has been approached for comment.<\/p>\n Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, external<\/a>, on X, external<\/a>, and on Instagram, external<\/a> and listen to BBC Radio Surrey on Sounds<\/a>. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk, external<\/a> or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.<\/p>\n