PiCAS INTERNATIONAL

Norwich Cathedral has been in the news recently after a pigeon that had become trapped in the Cathedral’s restaurant was shot by a pest control contractor brought in by the Cathedral’s management.  A decision was quickly taken to call in a pest controller to slaughter the bird rather than try to remove the bird alive and in a humane and compassionate manner.  Incredibly, the pest control contractor entered the restaurant and simply shot the bird in front of horrified diners. One witness said that the pigeon was shot but only wounded and fell to the ground flapping around in agony before the pest controller caught the bird and despatched it.  There was blood and feathers everywhere.

Ely Cathedral was also found to be killing pigeons and many other species of birds on the cathedral roof in the late 1990’s, but when questioned about the type of controls that were being employed the Bursar of Ely Cathedral vehemently denied that any type of  bird control was being undertaken.  After weeks of denying that they were slaughtering pigeons the Cathedral was forced to admit that it had been lying and had indeed been cage trapping and killing pigeons for years. 

Although this almost unbelievable action on the part of Norwich Cathedral (and Ely Cathedral) may be considered to be a ‘one-off’, the reality is that most religious groups demonstrate a preference for lethal and violent bird control rather than the humane and non-violent options.  PiCAS receives a considerable number of enquiries every year from religious groups about pigeon control, in particular the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church, but in almost every case the humane options are put aside and lethal controls such as shooting and cage trapping (and killing) are used instead.