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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

BOYS CHASING OUR feathered friends in town and city centres. Drame. What would you have done.

101 replies

ScousyFogarty · 02/06/2011 09:44

Some years ago, a true story

Boys of a youngish age chasing pidgeons; as they do....the birds usually fly off and leave the child disappoinred.

On this day.....a boy of 6-8 chased a bird which was busy feeding. He jumped on it....KILLED IT......there were a lot of people around some got very angry.....one talked of reporting the boys dad to the police.

What would you have done if you had been nearby....(anyone can give the daft answers, lets start with a few serious ones.)

OP posts:
seeker · 02/06/2011 09:46

I always stopped my children chasing pigeons. People thought I was a wierdo, but I hate seeing children having fun by scaring animals. Even if the pigeons are actually scared because thye are used to it. it's the principal of the thing.

Original poster
ScousyFogarty · 02/06/2011 09:46

Me ? I watched it develop and saw no need to intervene. Both dad and son looked shocked. They said nothing. The dad did not tell the boy off

OP posts:
Original poster
ScousyFogarty · 02/06/2011 09:48

seeker, yes I think that is reasonable, after all if boys at a young age scare pigeons. What will they be scaring when they are older?

OP posts:
coccyx · 02/06/2011 09:49

Outrageous. How could you not say anything??
Don't tell me they might have attacked you with a knife/had a gun hidden on them.
Too easy to walk away....

chandellina · 02/06/2011 09:50

i would have to suss the situation if i were there but i might say tell the boy directly he had done a very cruel thing and that no creature should be killed for fun. (let's forget about hunting for the time being.)

My 3 year old chases pigeon and i have thought it's pretty harmless. this puts a new spin on things for me.

amberleaf · 02/06/2011 09:55

Unless i were a vegan id have felt an utter hypocrite to say anything.

Punkatheart · 02/06/2011 09:55

I hate children chasing any sort of animals. Also there is a huge body of scientific evidence that shows children who torture or are cruel to animals, often go on to develop psychotic tendencies as adults. Mussolini used to torture animals, Ivan the Terrible would take dogs up to a tower and throw them off etc etc. When they are bored with that thrill - they may move on.

I have intervened in quite a few animals incidents, including boys shooting ducks. My blood gets up and I don't care for the consquences.

Animals, particularly birds, get very stressed by chasing or what they see as predator behaviour. Teaching children to respect animals and people is to me one of the important lessons in life. We are the caretakers of the planet after all.

MosEisley · 02/06/2011 09:58

So to recap:
This happened a few years ago.

The Dad and son looked shocked - like they realised it had gone to far... sound like they learnt a lesson.
You minded your own business and said nothing.

YANBU - I think you did the right thing.

As for the other bystanders, sounds like they got a bit carried away.
To report someone to the police for not preventing a 6 year old accidentally squashing a pidgeon is ridiculous. Surely the police have more important crimes to focus upon?

BluddyMoFo · 02/06/2011 09:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LoopyLoopsBettyBoops · 02/06/2011 09:59

What do you mean by 'of a youngish age'?

I would have said something. I might have called the police actually. I certainly would have made sure that the child had been told how wrong it was and saw what he had done for what it was - an unnecessary killing. I hope it made a big impression on him for life.

If he were 8ish and the parent did nothing, I'd have completely bollocked him then called the police.

If, however, he were 2 years old, I'd have left it to the parents (but still considered calling the police).

LoopyLoopsBettyBoops · 02/06/2011 10:00

Sorry, you said a boy of 6-8. The other bystanders did the right thing. He deserved to be very seriously told off. If he were older, I hope they would have prosecuted.

Would you care more if it were a cute puppy dog?

Punkatheart · 02/06/2011 10:01

Sorry but at 6-8 a child knows better than to jump on an animal.

Morloth · 02/06/2011 10:04

Throw down poisoned grain and kill all the fuckers?

God I hate pigeons.

sausagesandmarmelade · 02/06/2011 10:06

I'd have interfered definitely....
While I am not a fan of pidgeons I detest cruelty...

Saw a little boy chasing a pidgeon last weekend...was about to step in but the mother told him quite firmly to stop harassing the pidgeons.

iamnotsuperwoman · 02/06/2011 10:06

Animal cruelty is unacceptable. I would have had to say something, tbh I would have probably reported it, as the father was legally responsible for the child. Children should be bought up to know that all life is precious and should be respected.

I don't let my children chase birds as I don't think scaring something (or someone) smaller and more vulnerable than you should be promoted as fun or harmless.

QuintessentialOldMoo · 02/06/2011 10:06

Predators are natural in the animal world. City pigeons have too few natural predators. They are losing their alertness and their "dodging" skills, if it were not for boisterous children having a chase. It is natures way, and should not be interfered with. It is like a lion cub playing with butterflies, who would tell the cub off? If it accidentally mauled the butterfly? Well, survival of the fittest, and the way nature is.

sausagesandmarmelade · 02/06/2011 10:09

On the other hand...perhaps I am a hypocrite.

I hate spiders...and have just ordered another can of spidergone from ebay.

Marvellous stuff...does the trick!

Would have no qualms in h2b dealing with one....as I am just terrified of them.

slartybartfast · 02/06/2011 10:09

he jumped on it Shock

how vile.

Morloth · 02/06/2011 10:10

IME London pigeons don't fly off anyway, they kind of shuffle out of the way and then follow the kid around to see if it drops any crumbs.

DS1 used to be on pigeon chasing duty if we were having a picnic, it was his job to keep the nasty little things away from me.

Birds suck, most of them, with the possible exception of birds of prey and chickens because I like to eat them. I would be quite happy if they all died. Yuck.

sausagesandmarmelade · 02/06/2011 10:10

To add....being cruel to animals in childhood..and enjoying their suffering is one of the traits of the psychopath.

I would be very concerned if a child I knew displayed those characteristics.

shirleyshortcut · 02/06/2011 10:11

i saw some boys trapping a bird into a cage in a park once and went over and asked what they were doing and it turned out it was a homing pigeon or something and they werent trapping it but letting it out

glad i asked though, there was a thing on the news yesterday about birds being beheaded somewhere by some kids :(

Original poster
ScousyFogarty · 02/06/2011 10:15

The point was the boys dad was at his sons shoulder. People were wating for a response from him. None came probably due to shock they froze physically and vocally. The pigeon was dead. Some people standing aroundwere very angry. It could have escalated. It didn,t.

If a copper had seen It I presume he would have spoken to the father. Eather than the boy.

I must admit I have seldom seen parents stopping boys chasing pigeons. Partly because the boys never catch them This time was a rarity...

OP posts:
seeker · 02/06/2011 10:15

I wouldn;t stop a lion cub chasing butterfliesm but I wwould stop a child chasing butterflies. The difference between humans and other animals is empathy.

hogsback · 02/06/2011 10:19

Child should have been told off severely by parent for the unnecessary killing of a bird but by the sounds of it, he didn't really mean to do it. I'm not sure what all those suggesting that the police should have been called expect them to do. It's not illegal to kill pigeons.

worraliberty · 02/06/2011 10:20

What is it with the boys here OP? Do you think girls don't chase them?

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