A domestic king pigeon was recently discovered by a bird rescue group after it had been deliberately dyed pink and released into the wild. Flamingo, as the unlucky pigeon has been named, has it doubly rough. As a domestic bird, it’s not prepared for the realities of life in the wild, making it vulnerable to starvation and predation, and as a pink pigeon he’s going to have a rough time until a fresh set of feathers come in.
Fortunately, Flamingo was found by the Wild Bird Fund who have taken the peculiarly colored bird under their wing. They believe Flamingo was deliberately turned pink with hair dye, and while it’s not exactly certain what the intended purpose was, some have suggests the dreaded gender reveal party may have been to blame.
We say dreaded because such parties have seen people detonate gravel pits and explosives with fatal consequences, with one being significant enough to cause an earthquake. Others have caused entire wildfires, so it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that Flamingo’s makeover was a victim of the same theme.
Whatever the cause, Flamingo hasn’t been thriving since being completely submerged in dye, say Wild Bird Fund.
“After giving him time to stabilize, our team tried several methods to remove the dye, which we believe is hair dye, with limited success,” they wrote on Facebook. “One problem is that the dye has a very strong odor, and we’re concerned for the bird’s respiratory health. Birds are highly sensitive to certain fumes, and this pigeon is essentially living inside a cloud.”
Their key concerns are whether or not Flamingo has ingested any of the toxic dye during preening as he’s currently weak and not eating well. They’re continuing to monitor and treat him, all the while trying not to stress out an already exhausted animal.
“A reminder: never dye a bird! And please never release domestic birds or other domestic animals to the wild,” Wild Bird Fund pleaded. “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.”
If you’d like to support Flamingo’s recovery, you can contribute to the Wild Bird Fund here.
Source Link: "Flamingo" The Rescue Pigeon Is A Reminder To Never Dye Birds
