Vulture arrested for espionage

Saudi Arabian security forces have arrested a vulture they believe to be an Israeli spy.

The bird was taken into custody because it had a tag from Tel Aviv University and had strayed into the Arabian country, causing it to be accused of spying for the Israeli security service Mossad.

Local security services in the Saudi Arabia were alerted by the people who found the bird, saying they suspected it of being part of a "Zionist plot".

Within hours Arabic language sites were discussing conspiracy theories related to vultures being trained for espionage.

Israeli sources explained the vulture was being innocent and the tag was part of a study into the bird's migratory habits.

The incident comes amidst growing paranoia among Israel's neighbours over its growing military might.