Pigeons in Prague: The association is preparing a rescue station for them
The Pigeons in Need association was created to help domestic pigeons who suffer in many different ways in the urban environment. They are not a classic wild animal, so they do not fall under the care of rescue stations for wild animals. Shelters for domestic animals are not adapted to their care. The goal of the association is to restore a separate rescue station for these operations. They already have land in Bohnice, now the activists are asking for half a million from contributors. They have already collected almost 200 thousand crowns.
Smarter and more grateful than he seems
“The pigeon is an intelligent animal that is passed down in many myths. Forced to live on the fringes of society, even though a person is to blame for the situation in which the pigeon finds itself,” Kateřina Brabencová from the Pigeons in Need organization describes Blesku. They got to know the city’s birds up close five years ago when she worked at the rescue station, and they completely charmed her. “Most of them accept attention with gratitude, and due to their domesticated nature, they are really close to humans, unlike wild animals,” Kateřina explains.
The idea that a sick patient would eventually have to face life in the city again was completely frustrating for her. This led her to found the Pigeons in Need association. To regulate the pigeon population, it would be enough to build urban dovecotes, where the eggs laid for the chickens would be changed to artificial ones, in contrast to the current brutal extermination. That is why the “pigeon house” will also be part of the planned rescue station.
Pigeons recognize humans
According to Kateřina Brabencová, street performers are surprising, for example, by actually recognizing a human face. “That’s how they get to know ‘their’ person well. It never occurred to me to think whether I was in any danger from them, for my reason naturally commands me to help when needed.” describes Kateřina. According to Kateřina, no living creature should die on the street unnoticed just because its name is a pigeon. Kateřina Brabencová is proof that pigeons are not a threat.
A new home
For the rescue station project itself, the association Holubi in an emergency has a plot of land with an area of 1000 square meters available from the company Ekospol as in Bohnice, Prague. For now, however, it is empty and there is nothing on it at all. Before the new rescue station with aviaries is built, members of the Pigeons in Need association treat injured birds at home. Kateřina has 17 of them in her care, of which around twelve are flying around in the aviary.
Warrior of Tonda
Injuries are of different nature. “The most common are probably wing fractures. I also have enough pigeons to treat with strangled fangs from the various strings they wind around their legs while foraging. This is a real pain for them, because individual toothpicks die and fall off over time. Sometimes they lose whole legs,” explains Kateřina. He also takes care of long-term patients. For example, Terezka after a concussion. And now an orphaned pigeon has been added to the season.
About the need for a city pigeon loft and a rescue station, Tonda from Prague 6 could tell his story. He joined the association with a scalped injured head. It was one of the most serious cases. Although his head was slowly healing, he refused food, so the rescuers had to feed him. At the same time, his wing with an old fracture had to be amputated. The brave little guy from the parking lot, whose fate was so uncertain, looks a bit like a bird-lizard today, but thanks to the association, he’s been on his own for some time now, and in some places he’s sprouting feathers.
The rescue station for pigeons in Prague’s Bohnice is close at hand. Pigeons in distress zs
Young people from uncovered nests suffer from the heat of the sun, frequent patients in Prague are young wood pigeons and lovebirds
Author: Archiv Holubí v nouzi zs