[04
MAY 00] COVENTRY CITY COUNCIL NEWS
Costume Plea In Pigeon Crackdown
BY ANTONY HOPKER
Environmental
Health Officers in Coventry are looking for a pigeon costume for a
campaign warning people not to feed the birds.
They
are going out on the streets to tell shoppers in Jubilee Crescent,
Radford, not to throw bread down for pigeons living in the area.
There
has been an explosion in the pigeon population in the last two years,
and traders are fed up with the mess they make.
If
they are fed more than they need to be, pigeons will breed the whole
year round.
But
if they are left to forage for themselves, the population is
controlled.
Environmental
Health Officer Heather Cauldwell said there have been several
accidents with people slipping on pigeon mess.
And
the birds have been causing damage to the buildings in the street.
She
said:
“We
are not considering culling, we want to use humane methods of
control.
“We
are not aiming to starve the pigeons. They will be able to feed
themselves.
“We
need to get the message to people that they shouldn’t feed them,
and we want something nice and bright to attract people to come and
talk to us.”
Any
school, theatre group or costume shop that is able to help should call
Heather on 024 7683 2134 by 10 May.
The
costume will be used in a publicity campaign on 11 and 12 May.
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