PETA Urges Hannibal to Call Off Cruel and Ineffective Mass Pigeon Poisoning

Scheme Would Mean an Agonizing Death for Countless Birds and Do Nothing to Control the Pigeon Population, Warns Group

For Immediate Release:
October 18, 2012

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Hannibal, Mo. -- This morning, PETA sent an urgent letter to Hannibal Mayor Roy Hark, City Manager Jeff LaGarce, and the Hannibal City Council urging them to cancel the ill-conceived plan to have an exterminator poison pigeons on a massive scale by putting the poison Avitrol in bait stations on the rooftops of several city buildings. In its letter, PETA points out that Avitrol causes intense pain, convulsions, and an agonizing death as birds topple off buildings or crash to the ground in mid-flight. PETA also explains that as long as conditions remain attractive to pigeons and food is available to them, more birds will simply move in to fill the void left by those who are killed—often resulting in an increase in the pigeon population.

"If Hannibal officials have decided that poisoning is the best way to control the pigeon population, they simply haven't done their homework," says PETA Senior Vice President of Cruelty Investigations Daphna Nachminovitch. "It's unconscionable that the city would subject birds to agony and its own citizens to the spectacle of having to watch birds convulse in the streets when humane, proven, and cost-effective measures are readily available."

PETA also points out that the reported $4,280 total cost of the plan to city taxpayers would be better spent on proven, nonlethal methods of bird control—including a citywide ban on feeding wildlife.

For more information, please visit PETA.org. 

PETA's letter to Hannibal Mayor Roy Hark follows:

October 18, 2012

To:       The Honorable Mayor Roy Hark, City of Hannibal
    City Manager Jeff LaGarce, City of Hannibal
    Hannibal City Council

From:    Kristin Simon, Senior Cruelty Caseworker, PETA

Re:       Bird poison

PETA is an international animal protection organization with more than 3 million members and supporters globally. Our headquarters has received complaints from area residents who are concerned because the City of Hannibal plans to use poison to kill unwanted birds. Respectfully, the use of avicides (bird poisons) is extremely cruel. They attack and impair the nervous system, causing disorientation, erratic flight, tremors, and convulsions before an agonizing death. Pest-control companies often misleadingly describe Avitrol (a commonly used avicide) as a "harmless flock-dispersing agent," while in fact, it is a notorious poison that causes immeasurable suffering. Furthermore, Hannibal residents will be horrified to witness convulsing, dying birds falling from the sky and nearby rooftops if poison is set out.

Please know that removing or killing birds will only backfire. A spike in the food supply results, and this prompts accelerated breeding among survivors and newcomers. You will see increased populations. The key is to make areas unattractive or inaccessible and to target food sources. We suggest the following tried and true methods:

• Install anti-roosting products (e.g., bird spikes, slides, and coils) available from BirdBarrier.com. This company provides free consultations and does the installation.
• Install statues of natural predators (e.g., owls, hawks, etc.) and sonic devices to further deter pigeons from roosting. Mylar streamers, flags, and balloons also work to keep birds away. Rotate and/or relocate these devices regularly to prevent birds from becoming used to them. These can be found in garden centers at home-improvement stores.
• Implement a wildlife feeding prohibition, keep trash and garbage tightly contained, and remove or cover artificial sources of standing water.

We stand ready to advise further regarding widely employed methods that are successful at keeping birds away permanently. May we hear from you soon?

On behalf of our thousands of members and supporters in Missouri, thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Kristin Simon
Senior Cruelty Caseworker
Cruelty Investigations Department