“Animals are not props or decorations.”
A pigeon found abandoned in a New York City park may have been dyed pink for a gender reveal party, a rescue team has said.
The bird, a male king pigeon that is not naturally pink, was rescued and taken into the care of the Wild Bird Fund after a good Samaritan spotted the hapless bird.
The team found that the bird, bred for domestic purposes, suffered from long-term malnutrition.
The group has confirmed that the pigeon, nicknamed Flamingo, is now safe.
In an Instagram post, the group wrote: “Pigeons come in many different colours and plumages, but pink isn’t one of them. This is a domestic king pigeon who was deliberately dyed this colour and released.
“This poor bird has it bad enough as a domestic bird unable to find food in the wild, fly well or escape predators, but being a bright, unusual colour makes him even more of a target.
“He’s also barely more than a fledgling but shows signs of long-term malnutrition.
“Luckily, a kind person rescued him in Madison Square Park, and he’s now safely in care.”
Will the pigeon survive?
It is dangerous to use human dyes on birds because the colour will not come out despite trying several methods to remove it. This leaves the bird with an unnatural colour which can cause distress and discomfort, as well as potential health risks. It is uncertain whether the bird in the example will be able to shed its feathers and regrow new ones in its original colour.
Moreover, the dye has a very strong odour, which can adversely affect the bird’s respiratory health.
The Wild Bird Fund explained: “Birds are highly sensitive to certain fumes, and this pigeon is essentially living inside a cloud.
“We’re also concerned about him ingesting the chemical through preening. He’s currently quite weak and is struggling to keep food down.
“We’ve got Flamingo on heat, oxygen and subcutaneous fluids, and we’ve added medication to counteract the effects of the toxin on his digestive system. Bathing is very stressful for a bird, especially one already weak, so we have to balance intervention with overall stability.”
‘Never dye a bird’
Since the bird was suspected of having been dyed for a gender reveal party, the group released a PSA: “A reminder: never dye a bird! And please never release domestic birds or other domestic animals to the wild. They have no survival instincts and will starve or be preyed on. Dove releases in all forms are cruel. Please celebrate your life events peacefully without harming others.”
This isn’t the first instance of birds being used as props at a gender reveal party. Last September, Freedom Farm Animal Rescue in New Jersey took in a passel of pigeons dyed pink for a gender reveal party.
“Animals are not props or decorations,” the group wrote on Instagram after city authorities rescued the birds.
“These domestic young white pigeons don’t have a clue how to survive out in the wild and would’ve been picked off by predators had they not been saved. “
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