Save the Pigeons, Stop the Senseless Culling!
 

On her blog she writes:

2nd Feb 2010. I witnessed for the first time killing of innocent lives by the pest controllers. This was something I'd often heard about, but which I was blessed enough not to have seen with my own eyes.

I was walking home and saw at a distance a man picking something up from the ground. It looked like a bird, but the dark object didn't move, so I thought it was probably a bottle. He threw it into a black trash bag. In that instance out flew a bird from the bag.

I hastened towards the man and asked him what he was doing. He said the pigeons were a nuisance.

Nuisance?! The birds were a nuisance?

He told me it was ok, the birds were only sleeping.

I couldn't believe myself, even though I'd read enough of such nonsense logic on the internet. Soon another two men came, one of them who was supposedly in charge of the killing spree.

He told me he was sent by the town council, so I asked to speak to the town council. He called them, and later passed his mobile to me.

It was Ms Angeline Tan of Jalan Besar Town Council. Though not harsh, she was apparently defiant about their approach. She said they had received many complaints about the birds. I asked her a few times how many complaints they had received, she just wouldn't reveal the figure.

Very soon after starting the phone talk, I was crying uncontrollably. I knew crying would only irritate her more and wouldn't solve problems, but the sight of the poor birds hardly able to move and awaiting death, and being thrown into trash bags while still struggling for their dear lives, was something too much to bear. People are taking lives, and they are so numb to such a horrid act, this is indeed frightening.

After the phone talk, I noticed that a few people had gathered. One of them was an officer from NEA, and apparently was worried because I, a member of the public, was crying. He said he couldn't leave because it would be terrible if the public thought that pest controllers had made a resident cry. Well, that was the truth. If only crying would make the hard-hearted authorities more merciful!

This officer told me that things couldn't be helped. On one hand were animal lovers, on the other hand animal haters. As if this was a fact that had to be accepted.

But I thought this was pessimistic. I believe there is a way for all beings to co-exist in peace. Some day, people will come to their senses. I may not live to see the day, but one day, people will.

I came home feeling very lost and extremely disturbed. I could continue to keep an eye shut if I hadn't seen anything. But now that I saw such a cruel act first hand, it was time that I did something.

I decided to write a letter to residents appealing to them not to feed the birds. That was the first step. Then came emails to the authorities. Now, I'm compiling everything into this blog as a friend suggested. Letters, emails, thoughts, actions and everything.

I don't know how things would unfold, but at least, I've started to do something for my poor innocent friends. My dear fellow residents of good old mother earth.

Do check it out Save The Pigeons (Singapore) and help to pass on word to bird feeders you see not to feed the birds.

I've saw the feeding, faint, throw act many times in my neighbourhood. They also said the birds are nuisance. :(

PETITION

The author has created the following petition to appeal to the authorities to spare the pigeons.

If you agree that a more humane method should be adopted instead of senseless killing, please kindly lend your support and sign the petition. Would appreciate it greatly if you could pass the word around too.

Thank you for helping the helpless, and for helping to promote a harmonious environment of non-violence.

Petitions are effective, every single signature counts.

This isn't just about pigeons, it's also about making a difference in our own way, about building a better society, starting with ourselves.

Sign the petition here:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/3/Sav...eons-Singapore

Stop Pigeon Culling (Singapore)

To: Prime Minister Mr Lee Hsien Loong, Minister for National Development Mr Mah Bow Tan, Town Councils, Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore, National Environment Agency

We, the undersigned, appeal to you to review your method of controlling the pigeon population in Singapore.

Presently, pest controllers are engaged to poison the birds. This method should be abolished for the following reasons:

1. Studies have shown that not only does culling fail to reduce the pigeon population, it actually increases it. This is because pigeons control their population by the amount of food available. When food supply remains constant, surviving pigeons thrive and reproduce more.

2. Poisoned food for the pigeons may harm other animals and even children, who may unwittingly play with or even consume it.

3. It is a modern myth that pigeons are detrimental to human health. Chances of us being struck by lightning or getting diseases from eating farmed animals like chickens and pigs are much greater than getting ill through contact with pigeons. Pigeons, being revered as 'birds of peace', have lived alongside humans for thousands of years. If they truly are disease-carriers, our ancestors would not have engaged them as 'postmen'. Nor would pigeon racing have become a favourite sport.

4. We are outraged that our hard-earned money is spent on such a cruel and ineffective method. The money used to pay pest controllers should be channelled to wiser, kinder and more constructive purposes.

5. The sight of lives being killed can be extremely haunting to young children and may have very negative effects on their emotional health.

6. By killing living beings that are deemed a nuisance to us, we are inculcating our young with absolutely wrong values. We are encouraging intolerance and destroying seeds of compassion. Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." The government wants Singapore to bloom into a gracious society, yet being the leader, it is doing exactly the opposite and advocating cruelty and barbarism.

It is obvious that the conceived pigeon problem stems from food available, not the pigeons themselves. Therefore, instead of killing the birds, we urge you to designate feeding areas and step up enforcement of the no-pigeon-feeding law in non-feeding areas:

a. Create zones where feeding is allowed.

b. Provide more prominent signages that advise against feeding of pigeons in non-feeding zones.

c. Assign personnel at reported hotspots to catch and fine feeders in the act.

d. Remind people that food should be disposed of properly so that it does not attract pigeons.

e. Post educational advertisements and reports in the papers on the issue.

Live and let live. Show the world that Singapore is not only a society advanced materially, it is also a land of greenery where its citizens live in harmony with nature and are caring towards weaker beings.

The government wants to promote active citizenry. Please do your part by listening to us when we do speak up. Please do the RIGHT thing and stop adopting the same old method that is easy but that has never worked.

(For more information on effective and humane pigeon control, please visit Pigeon Control Advisory Service @ PiCAS Humane Non Lethal Methods of Bird Pest Control Do Birds Spread Diseases)

Thank you for reading and we hope to see a positive change and a more compassionate leadership.


Sincerely,

The Undersigned