UK Pigeon Population Plump and Rising From Fast Food Waste

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Bird-brained louts who dump fast food rubbish on the streets are not only making our environment look unhealthy - they're also creating a race of super-sized pigeons, dependent on people rather than nature for their food.

WIGAN, England — Bird-brained louts who dump fast food rubbish on the streets are not only making our environment look unhealthy - they're also creating a race of super-sized pigeons, dependent on people rather than nature for their food.


And, argues charity Keep Britain Tidy, unless these junk food addicts shake their dirty habits and use a bin, the pigeon population will get so out of hand that councils may be forced to cull THOUSANDS of our fattened feathered friends.


"Seven out of the ten bits of litter we find on our pavements and roads are food related," said Alan Woods, Chief Executive of the campaign. "And with all this nosh to choose from, the pigeon, rat, fox and gull population has spiralled. This isn't fair on the councils who are left to control this pest problem and is cruel to those animals who are scavenging in unnatural environments for food that isn't good for them."


Alan's message is particularly poignant at this time of year - when the hot weather encourages people to eat al fresco. June and July is also peak breeding time for pigeons. To try and curb our whopping food litter problem, Keep Britain Tidy is backing a Government initiative called, ""Food on the Go"" which encourages everyone from sandwich shops to drive-thrus to keep their premises clean. They also welcome new legislation in the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act, making it easier to hit litterers with GBP50 on-the-spot fines.


But Keep Britain Tidy isn't only pointing the finger at litter louts for creating a plump pigeon population. They are also backing a drive launched in Derby today by The Cleaner Greener Normanton Project, to discourage people from feeding urban birds. This campaign will include visits to community centres and places of worship and will see flyers pushed through doors to ensure the message hits home.


"People genuinely feed pigeons out of a sense of kindness" continued Alan Woods. "But by leaving food around, they are not helping the birds at all. Pigeons become dependent on you for their diet and when flocks gather, this spreads disease and drives smaller birds away. Really, the best way to care for pigeons is to stop dropping and littering food - and instead let nature takes its course."


Source: Keep Britain Tidy