Pigeon dies after being dyed pink for gender reveal party
It is clear that gender reveals have been getting a lot of controversies lately. Back in October, a couple caught a lot of heat from the public after they contaminated a waterfall for their gender reveal party, and now, a new issue has come to light after a pigeon died because it was used for the same purpose.
The incident was first made known by Wild Bird Fund, the only wildlife rehabilitation and education center in New York City. In their Twitter thread, they posted a picture of a king pigeon with pink-colored feathers.
"This king pigeon was deliberately dyed and released. As a domestic bird unable to find food in the wild, fly well or escape predators, this poor kid had it bad enough before being dyed," they wrote.
The bird, which was "barely more than a fledgling," had been brought to them after it was rescued by a man in a park. They observed that it has been showing signs of long-term malnutrition.
Pigeons come in many different colors, but pink isn't one of them. This king pigeon was deliberately dyed and released. As a domestic bird unable to find food in the wild, fly well or escape predators, this poor kid had it bad enough before being dyed.
— Wild Bird Fund (@wildbirdfund) January 31, 2023
📷: Phyllis Tseng pic.twitter.com/SnhdIOJsHU
In an update, Wild Bird Fund stated that the hair dye used on the bird, which they named Flamingo, had a "strong odor" and could cause harmful effects on the bird's respiratory system. While they tried several methods to remove the dye, their chances of getting it done is limited.
"Birds are very sensitive to certain fumes, and this one is essentially living inside a cloud. We're also concerned about him ingesting the chemical through preening. His condition is weak, and he's struggling to keep food down," they stated, warning the public to never dye a bird.
In another update on Feb 7., the rehabilitation center announced that the tainted fowl has now sadly passed away.
"Despite our best efforts to reduce the fumes coming off the dye, while keeping him calm and stable, he died in the night. We believe his death was caused by inhaling the toxins," they wrote.
However, since the pigeon was already malnourished and had no survival skills, they said that it would not have lived very long in a city park "even without the added complication of the toxic dye."
Wild Bird Fund warned, "'Dove releases' sound romantic, but take away the decorations and Instagram photos, and they are the equivalent of dumping your helpless pets on the side of the road. This is no way to celebrate anything."
We are deeply sad to report that Flamingo, our sweet pink pigeon, has passed away. Despite our best efforts to reduce the fumes coming off the dye, while keeping him calm and stable, he died in the night. We believe his death was caused by inhaling the toxins.
— Wild Bird Fund (@wildbirdfund) February 7, 2023
📷: Alexis Ayala pic.twitter.com/218hh6oN8P
In a report by The New York Times, the New York City Police Department’s Animal Cruelty Investigation Squad has gotten wind of the stunt and has now launched an investigation to find out how the bird ended up dyed.