Neck breaking and gassing are options for pigeon cull (From Bucks Free Press)
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Neck breaking and gassing are options for pigeon cull in High Wycombe
7:00am Thursday 8th July 2010 in News By Oliver Evans
Neck breaking and gassing are options for pigeon cull
PIGEONS could to have their necks broken when a council culling regime for High Wycombe begins, bosses have said.
Wycombe District Council said ‘cervical dislocation’ was the ‘usual choice’ of pest controllers but could not confirm it will be used as a firm has not been chosen.
Pigeons could also be gassed, they said.
A woman campaigning against the move branded the treatment as ‘horrible’.
Council spokesman Becky Wotherspoon said: “The council will ensure any pigeons will be humanely destroyed in accordance with current best practice methods and all applicable legal requirements.
“The actual choice of method will be down to our contractor who has not been chosen or appointed at this time.
“We are aware that the usual method of humane destruction is cervical dislocation but other techniques such as gassing do exist. All carcases will then be properly disposed of.”
But campaigner Ellen Wise said the method was ‘horrible’.
She said: “If anyone ever witnesses a cull they will never want to do it again for the rest of their lives.”
Ellen Wise with the petition against the plan.
Bosses have said pigeons pose a risk to public health, but Mrs Wise, of Lady Verney Close, High Wycombe, said they have ‘not conclusively’ proved it.
She and two other residents urged councillors to reject the plan at a meeting of the authority on Monday and handed over a petition of about 400 signatures.
They said it was illegal and would increase pigeon numbers – but the council denied this and said pigeon faeces were a danger to public health.
The council plans to trap and kill pigeons and then scare away the remaining with a hawk. They said Frogmoor was the biggest area of concern.
Councillor Clive Harriss said the birds are a ‘nuisance’ and the council had received letters of support.
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Comments(22)
Dr Truth
says...
9:09am Thu 8 Jul 10
Remember that only 400 of the total population of High Wycombe have voiced their opposition BFP, any statistical experts amongst the staff should be able to do the maths.
BigTommy
says...
9:29am Thu 8 Jul 10
JP80
says...
9:43am Thu 8 Jul 10
sw: wing-take
efbog
says...
9:46am Thu 8 Jul 10
Mutley
says...
10:00am Thu 8 Jul 10
No, it's just one of the campaigners!
Will WDC open a pie stall? No point in wasting good meat.
Mrs DaPoint
says...
10:16am Thu 8 Jul 10
efbog wrote:Probably, or a Red Tail.
Is that a Harris Hawk?
Best thing for pigeons (or the worst, depends if you're a pigeon) is a Peregrine. Knocks 'em out of the sky from a 200mph dive. They don't know what's hit 'em.
Mrs DaPoint
says...
10:25am Thu 8 Jul 10
If that's gas like I used to have at the dentist, it must be very difficult to get the bird to wear the mask... they could break their necks trying to fit it, if they're not careful.
Hit me
says...
11:23am Thu 8 Jul 10
...we could even sell tickets for experience days and make some $$ rather than paying a contractor?
Tharus Bond
says...
12:03pm Thu 8 Jul 10
Tharus Bond
says...
12:03pm Thu 8 Jul 10
MCarey
says...
12:15pm Thu 8 Jul 10
Lillymoe
says...
12:19pm Thu 8 Jul 10
JP80 wrote:OOOOO yes, there are lots of Red Kites where I live, shoot some of them 'rats with wings' and bring them to me, I will happily feed the kites !
Rats with wings.. snap their necks then leave them out for the Red Kites to feast on. Less pigeons, more Kites. Result sw: wing-take
FatDuck
says...
3:04pm Thu 8 Jul 10
Low_Wycombe
says...
4:10pm Thu 8 Jul 10
Melanie1
says...
7:23pm Thu 8 Jul 10
.
It isn't called Pigeon Fanciers Lung for nothing love. They are dirty, unattractive vermin and having their necks broken or 'cervical dislocation' is far better than seeing them die of old age or starvation as they are no longer strong enough to fly.
M40
says...
8:12pm Thu 8 Jul 10
Red Kites have been mentioned, they are now a problem, their hunting fields of old have been built on, west of Wycombe and The Pastures are infested with dozens of them, they are increasing at an alarming rate, what happens when due to numbers they change their habits in their search for food.
Cull the Pigeons - Cull the Red Kites.
Voyeur
says...
1:46am Fri 9 Jul 10
JP80
says...
9:44am Fri 9 Jul 10
Ewartwhatyoubulldoze
says...
12:46pm Fri 9 Jul 10
bluefeet
says...
12:54pm Fri 9 Jul 10
MCarey wrote:spot the vegetarian....?
live and let live, you are all condoning murder
wayneo
says...
10:56am Wed 14 Jul 10
Isn't it wonderful in a supposed civilised society, that life is treated with such destain and in a manner that can only be described as very uncivil?
It's the burger king culture of quick fixes instead of dealing with the causation. The human race will certainly be the authors of their own demise.
fuzzier says...
7:44am Thu 8 Jul 10