A TANZANIAN white-back vulture met an untimely death in Bransgore last week, after soaring high on thermals and coming to land on power lines.

Falconers from the bird of prey centre, near Ringwood (formerly the New Forest owl sanctuary), were flying Steptoe, a three-year-old vulture with a 7ft wingspan.

The bird decided to fly off higher than usual.

It soared to 1,500ft, before landing on electricity cables and being electrocuted.

Police were alerted after the bird went missing last Wednesday morning, during a routine flying session.

The bird centre's owner, Giles Talbot, said he was saddened by the news, but such things did happen.

He said: "Steptoe was out doing what he normally does and decided to go up a bit higher than usual.

"Vultures have an incredible vision and can see up to 30 miles.

"We might not have been able to see him, but he could probably see us."

Mr Talbot said non-insulated power cables posed a significant problem for birds of prey across the country.

The sanctuary at Ringwood provides T-bar perches on tops of poles carrying live wires.

This allows the birds to land safely.

Mr Talbot said he had contacted the electricity company.

He was prepared to provide T-bar perches for installation in areas where he regularly flew the birds. "They are trying to get bird of prey populations back, it just makes sense to put these in," Mr Talbot said.

Ken Merriman, of the Swan Rescue Sanctuary in Holt, near Wimborne, agreed the problem was common.

"Power lines and birds do not mix."

"There is a lot of trouble with swans hitting power lines near rivers and ponds, particularly during the winter months when they are flying around more," he said.

Mr Merriman said the problem stemmed mostly from low-tension cables that crossed open farmland.

The birds sit on the poles where the cables meet and are killed when their wings spread across the lines.