Obese wild animals

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

Humans are not alone in suffering from junk food, it seems.

Pigeons pig out on junk food trash

Monday, July 18, 2005 Posted: 1328 GMT (2128 HKT)

Pigeons in Britain are becoming fat by eating junk food left by

humans.

(CNN) -- British junk food lovers are having an unhealthy effect on

the country's pigeons, which are becoming obese by feasting on litter

leftovers.

The charity Keep Britain Tidy says people who do not throw their

uneaten junk food away are causing the problem.

Chief executive Alan Woods said the birds were now " supersized " and

dependent on people rather than nature for their food.

The abundance of food on offer was also causing a population

explosion of pigeons in Britain, which are considered a health hazard

and a nuisance, he said.

" Seven out of the 10 bits of litter we find on our pavements and

roads are food related. And with all this trash to choose from, the

pigeon, rat, fox and gull population has spiraled, " Woods said.

The litter problem was worse during summer because the warm weather

meant more people ate outdoors.

Summer also coincides with the peak breeding season for pigeons in

June and July.

Woods said if the problem continued, local councils would be forced

to cull thousands of pigeons to keep numbers under control.

" This isn't fair on the councils who are left to control the pest

problem and is cruel to those animals who are scavenging in unnatural

environments for food that isn't good for them, " he said.

Keep Britain Tidy has launched a campaign to raise awareness of the

problem and to encourage people not to litter.

" People genuinely feed pigeons out of a sense of kindness. 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, " he said.

" Really, the best way to care for pigeons is to stop dropping and

littering food, and instead let nature take its course. "

He said the charity welcomed new legislation which made it easier to

hit people who litter with on-the-spot fines.