“So I'm out in the field on a ride with the parking guards, and what do I see? It seems to be a dove with a sombrero ... "
The words come from Sabra Newby, city manager in the city of Reno, who has posted a picture on the pigeon in question on his Twitter account, reports ABC News.
- Even if it's funny or funny, it's still inhumane, says Sabra Newby in a statement to the television station Kolo.
This is not the first time pigeons with hats are seen on American streets. By December last year, three pigeons with little cowboy hats were discovered in Las Vegas. Animal keepers reported this week that one of them had died, writes the news agency AP.
According to the Lofty hopes pigeon rescue organization in Las Vegas, the hats had been glued to the pigeon's head using glue, and the steam from the glue may have poisoned the dying pigeon "Bille". However, it is unclear if the bird's death was due to this.
Because pigeons have delicate breathing organs, veterinarians had to trim feathers to remove the headgear, the organization says.
"Disturbing and inhumane"Commander Sabra Newby does not want the story to repeat in Reno, and therefore urges residents in the city to contact the animal shelter if they see the bird, writes ABC News.
Washoe county regional animal services, too, say in a statement to the channel that they find it "disturbing and inhumane" to place wildlife on animals - and urge the public to call if they encounter the pigeon with sombrero.
Who or who is behind the glued hats is unclear. It is also not known if there is a connection between the incidents in Las Vegas and Reno.