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21
Oct
'Remove netting from Harrogate shopping centre to prevent bird deaths', campaigners urge
Wildlife campaigners are calling on Victoria Shopping Centre in Harrogate to prevent the deaths of wild birds by removing the netting from its external walls.
The netting, which covers much of the outside of the shopping centre, was put up several years ago to stop pigeons and other birds from nesting or perching on the building.
But volunteers from Advocacy for Pigeons and Harrogate Pigeon Patrol say the netting can be a death trap. Tears and gaps allow pigeons to get behind the netting, but they then find it difficult to escape. Others simply become entangled in the mesh.
Sam Crick, founder of Advocacy for Pigeons, told the Stray Ferret:
Many of them die a slow death, without food or water. But even those we reach don’t always survive.
Last week, there was a pigeon trapped in the netting above the main entrance to TG Jones [formerly WH Smith], and we managed to get the RSPCA and fire brigade to help release it.
Sadly, that time it was too late. It had been struggling for hours – its legs were shredded and there was lots of blood. It had an injured wing and one of its legs was so badly broken that it was the wrong way round. It was so bad that a vet had to put it to sleep.
This pigeon's injuries were so bad it had to be put down.
Ms Crick travels across the North holding ‘destringing’ events to untangle string and other litter from pigeons’ feet. She said that Victoria Shopping Centre was one of the two worst places she's seen for birds getting trapped in netting (the other is York railway station), and said the netting should be removed:
It’s incredibly cruel and ineffective, not least because a lot of the time it isn’t monitored.
It’s not just about one or two birds – it’s about a system of neglect that is causing repeated, unnecessary suffering, potentially in breach of the Animal Welfare Act.
Under the Animal Welfare Act of 2006, an animal is considered to be protected when it is temporarily under the control of a human, and according to the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), a bird trapped and suffering as a result of poorly maintained netting may constitute an offence.
The RSPCA’s website says:
We always encourage the owner of the building to repair the netting and put in place a system of maintenance and checking to prevent any further problems.
This pigeon was trapped behind the netting for several days before being released.
In instances where netting is not removed, campaigners are recommending that it be checked at least every 25 hours – the minimum legal requirement set by DEFRA for captive birds.
The Stray Ferret asked Victoria Shopping Centre what its policy was regarding the rescue of trapped birds.
Operations manager Paul Isherwood told us that Victoria Shopping Centre “takes wildlife welfare extremely seriously”. He said it was "committed to operating within all legal requirements” and added that "preventing harm to wildlife is a priority for us”.
He said:
We would like to clarify our ongoing approach to wildlife management at the centre:
We conduct regular inspections of all netting installations as part of our comprehensive site maintenance programme.
Our facilities team has been trained to identify and respond appropriately to any wildlife welfare concerns.
When birds do become trapped, we act to safely release them, working with appropriate authorities when necessary.
He added:
During a recent incident, RSPCA officers who attended the site were comfortable with our approach to repairing the netting and dealing with the situation. This professional endorsement reinforces our confidence that we are following appropriate procedures in our wildlife management practices.
The Stray Ferret has contacted Victoria Shopping Centre again to ask about the “regular inspections” Mr Isherwood mentioned.
When we took a look around just two sides of the building yesterday (October 20), we saw the decaying remains of four birds in the netting, most of them very old, and one of them apparently a bird of prey.
One of the dead pigeons decaying at the centre.
Ms Crick said public attitudes to pigeons was mixed:
Some people call them ‘rats with wings’ and say they carry diseases – even though you’re more likely to catch something from a pet bird than a pigeon.
But a lot of people hate to see birds injured or in distress and are supportive when they see us destringing pigeons.
It’s really important to get people to notice trapped birds. It’s just really unfair. These birds are just going about their business. And it’s nice to see wildlife in our town centres.
Grace Malton-Sinagoga, of Harrogate Pigeon Patrol, said that pigeons were owed a duty of care because of their historical connections with humans. She said:
We domesticated pigeons thousands of years ago for food and they even won medals for carrying messages during the war, but now we’ve abandoned them.
So they’re not truly wild birds, and they need our support.
Anyone who sees dead birds in netting should email the RSPCA at wildlife@rspca.org.uk, with the address and postcode of the netting, the owner of the property, and the date of the incident.
Live birds trapped in netting should be brought to the attention of the building owner and can also be reported via the RSPCA’s 24-hour cruelty and advice line on 0300 1234 999.
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