| Often
described
as "flying rats", pigeons have seemingly built up a reputation
of being a real menace in the country's town centres.
Recently,
the problem of pigeon numbers in the Gloucestershire town of Stroud
was considered to be so bad that Stroud District Council decided
a cull was called for.
In
May 2004, a number of pigeons were rounded up in rooftop traps before
being taken away. They were then culled using specialist equipment
to break their necks - it's a method that the council defended as
humane. Maria Hickman, the Chief Environmental Health officer for
Stroud District Council, had this to say:
"It
was carried out because we needed to do it. We have a major problem
with pigeons in Stroud town centre and it was carried out at the
request of the local town council and the local business group."
We
considered the options available to us and that was the most effect
and most suitable option for using within the town centre.
Despite
the large amount of interest shown by the local press here, we have
only received six complaints from local residents and three calls
of support which does show that, locally, people do recognise that
it's a problem we have to deal with."
Cull
not needed
However,
protesters have disagreed with this statement and the need for a
cull at all, citing the fact that there are other methods of control
to consider before taking the 'extreme' option of culling the birds.
Emma
Haskell, from Pigeon Campaigns UK, believes that the public themselves
are largely responsible for the pigeon problem in the Britain's
towns. She said:
"The
source of the problem is the overfeeding by the public. It's really
down to the human race that the pigeon population in Stroud is out
of control in the first place. It's due to the fact that the public
are feeding the pigeons by dumping all their left takeaways on the
floor and so on. Until the council addresses the issue of the public
feeding problem, the pigeons are just going to keep on breeding
and breeding."
And
Emma is also sceptical that the Council's cull will have the desired
effect in reducing the number of pigeons in Stroud. She explained:
"With
feral pigeons, the council has a cull and the pigeons will re-breed
in four to six weeks and replenish the lost population from the
cull. It's a complete waste of time.
The
council are going to spend an awful lot of money for a start - ratepayer's
money - continually culling these birds every four to six weeks
to maintain the required population that they want.
It's
cruel and it's unnecessary, why would the council not choose free
and non lethal methods?"
The
main reason behind the pigeon overpopulation problem is believed
to be down to overfeeding. If their supply of food could be restricted
pigeon numbers should drop.
Another
possible means of restricting the pigeons' breeding patterns is
the creation of artificial nesting sites in towns where their eggs
could be removed. In research conducted in Switzerland, pigeon numbers
were halved after this programme was instituted.
The
use of anti roost spikes in places where pigeons like to build nests
would also help to limit their numbers in towns.
Appalled
by the cull
Protester
Jane Whitehead was so appalled by the cull that she felt moved to
write a letter about the issue. She said:
"I
was appalled to hear of the cull of pigeons, particularly as it
has been carried out during the breeding season when, because parent
birds feed in pairs, the young of these captured pigeons will be
left to die in their nests through hunger and dehydration."
"It
is scientifically proven in the Basle Report that rather than reduce
pigeon numbers, culling actually results in flocks very quickly
breeding to replace missing birds and in some cases actually increasing
on their pre-cull numbers. Therefore, culling is not the answer
in the long term and is unnecessarily cruel, more so when young
are in the nests."
"The
council's comment in the press that pigeons and rats pose the same
health risk to humans and that this is why pigeons are called "flying
rats", is disproven and arguably a money-spinning fallacy put
about by the pest control industry, who are in the long term the
only, and quite considerable, beneficiaries of this cull-breed-cull
charade."
Have
your say
Your
comments...
John
Pigeons should be culled. They're rats with wings. Would all you
protesters worried about the 'baby animals' care less if it were
rats they are killing? Thought not... Although I will agree that
as culling costs money, ALL other more cost effective alternatives
should be considered first. Josie - frankly, I'm appalled by what
you've written. Read the article - it clearly says "They were
then culled using specialist equipment to break their necks - it's
a method that the council defended as humane.". They die instantly
when their necks are boken therefore "inhumane killing by these
"pest control" companies is disgusting" is actually
a completely infactual comment based on your opinions. A further
note - 'pest control' companies are not evil 'Cruela Devil' type
companies that hunt down puppies - they employ ordinary people that
a carry out an essential job in many situations (e.g. when your
gardens infested with rats or wasps in your attic or rabbits/foxes
on farms). You play god every time you eat an innocent chicken or
a baby lamb. Why is it, that now meat is all cut up for us and packaged
nicely in supermarkets, people don't think that an animals been
killed to produce your burger etc. I'm sorry, but anyone that ever
eats meat is personally responsible for the death of animals.
Nancy
Ellis
Culling is cruel and adverse. It is a waste of our money. People
are the culprit with their messy habits making food available to
the birds. A more human solution is called for, such as egg-oiling
for Gloucester's sea gulls. Maria Hickman said that the council
has received few complaints. That is because most of us were unaware
of what was being done. So count me as a complaint!
anne
morgan
I would like to know who authorized this action since the town's
MP David Drew and many of the councillors were unaware of it until
it was underway and had hit the media. I deeply resent my council
tax money being squandered to line the pockets of the pest control
companies who are all too aware that culling is completely pointless.The
council should concentrate on dealing with the tide of litter (
much of it from food outlets )which is deposited around the town.If
the council had a genuinely " green " agenda they would
have called in the Pigeon Control Advisory Service who are acknowleged
experts in the field of non-lethal and effective control. Stroud
has received a lot of bad press over this issue and those responsible
should be named and shamed.
Julie
Roxburgh
It is a sad day for the pigeons, for the Council and for the good
people of Stroud, who, I am sure, would not wish their hard earned
cash spent in such a mindless action.
josie
I am appalled by the culling of these defenceless creatures. Their
are much more humane ways of controlling populations of animals,
and I do not feel that you have explored all the possibilities and
even considered the fact that these pigeons can be controlled via
other methods. The starving of baby animals and inhumane killing
by these "pest control" companies is disgusting. A life
is a life and you do not have the right to play "god".
Bob
Why doesn't the council simply do something about the things that
attract pigeons in the first place? After all, they're only doing
what nature intends - surviving and adapting to areas where they
can feed. If the council was to do it's job and reduce the amount
of fast food outlets which result in a sea of litter and food scraps
they might be heading in the right direction. Oh sorry, I forgot,
in Stroud as anywhere else, business comes first together with the
income from business rates - so much for Stroud's "Green"
credentials.
K.
Musker
I understand the council are now proudly stating to the public that
this problem has been solved. WRONG!!! As scientific studies have
shown the flock will be back to above pre cull levels very soon.
Have the council taken any advice re scientific research and pigeon
populations? Obviously not. The 'quick fix' is no solution, which
you will soon see when a larger flock returns, so not only have
they wasted tax payers money but they've entered into an extremely
cruel and unethical and archiac practice. I wonder, do the council
have covered waste bins in Stroud, do they have lots of fast food
outlets, do the council cleaners do a good job? Have they issued
leaflets and public information to advice the public not to feed
the birds? Have they proofed buildings. Probably no to all of the
above (and yes to the fast food outlets) and then you wonder why
bird flocks increase. SHAME ON THE COUNCIL!
If you
would like to comment on this story get in touch at gloucestershire@bbc.co.uk
or have your say on our
|
A
decision to cull Stroud's pigeon population has resulted in angry
debate over the whole issue of culling as a method of controlling
numbers of the bird..
