Chasing birds in a park?!

[peanutmandmss]

How frowned upon is this?
Running through a flock of pigeons id not get too worked up about, chasing and scaring a bird continually is different.

The Royal Parks don't allow you to feed any animals.

Oddly that seems to have stopped congregations of pigeons being around, and in turn small children chasing them.

I wouldn’t because the sort of parents who allow it are going to be rough types who get aggressive. Or precious Tarquin parents who thinks that living creatures are there to be harassed. You won’t get empathy from them and a mouthful of abuse instead.

I’ve told children off on occasion when they’ve been tormenting birds. One was hitting them with a stick. He told his mother, she agreed with me and the stick was rapidly thrown away.

Says a lot about you that it wouldn't even cross your mind! Hopefully you don't have children

To add, you're more likely to be a psychopath if you found pleasure in upsetting animals as a child.

God Alive.

Oh yes , look at the way all the pigeons lift off as you push a buggy through or walk a dog where they are all congregating on the pathways in my local park. All those undercover psychopaths. Never mind the little psychopaths who might run at them before the pigeons wise up and land somewhere else, before returning completely un perturbed.

The pigeons are not terrified or tormented when people or children run or move at them. They don't give a shit. Unless it's on you. Particularly the very tame ones. They are hanging around for food. They come right back.

Do you think they'd come back if they were 'terrified?'

Pigeons are highly intelligent and branded as ‘ vermin’ to make people feel better about being cruel or shooting them.

Yeah right. Nothing to do do with the fungal and bacterial diseases they carry. Which is also spread in their feces. Oh and the fleas and ticks. And the shitting everywhere. Which is attractive to rats. And the damage to buildings.

This doesn't justify cruelty but let's be clear about why they are branded as vermin.

do You know why there are so many pigeons?
the U.K. was encouraged to keep them during the war for food. After rationing ended we released them and they’ve successfully bred, it’s another stirling job done by human kind.

just because WE class something as vermin doesn’t mean we should allow them to feel scared.

just because WE class something as vermin doesn’t mean we should allow them to feel scared.

Did you read what I wrote?

This doesn't justify cruelty but let's be clear about why they are branded as vermin.

Lazy and thick parents spring to mind whenever I see anyone letting their child chase birds....

Did I say 'terrified'? I said 'upsetting'. Whether or not you agree with my post, it's a fact, not opinion.

I did read what you wrote and still felt it needed saying. Nothing in this world deserves to suffer, just because humans decide to label it as such.

why do you think they fly off when the buggy is pushed through or the dogs chase them? It’s because they are scared, they would just move to the side or stay there if they were ok with it.
it expends energy they could use elsewhere. Wildlife isn’t like humans that “could do with the exercise”.

why do you think they fly off when the buggy is pushed through or the dogs chase them? It’s because they are scared, they would just move to the side or stay there if they were ok with it.
it expends energy they could use elsewhere. Wildlife isn’t like humans that “could do with the exercise”.

What ? Just 'move to the side' That's very humanising. Have you seen their legs? No. They fly off because they CAN fly.

And then they return.

The pigeons in my park are at it every day "expending energy they could be using elsewhere " flying up and then returning. It's the pay off for the scraps of food they are scavenging for.

I just don't think they are scared or terrified. That's what taming and being around humans does.

Did I say 'terrified'? I said 'upsetting'. Whether or not you agree with my post, it's a fact, not opinion.

I agree it is a fact. And to conflate it with a child who might run at some pigeons is why it's coming over as ridiculous.

Hate it. Was it Jason Manford who told the "joke" about a pigeon getting punched? I had to switch over as the audience found it absolutely hilarious.
he's a knobhead anyway

Whatever. Don't encourage your child to take joy in upsetting animals ok.

Who said anything about 'encouraging a child to take joy from scaring animals'.???

Lumping that in with your refs to child psychopaths.

I'm saying a child who runs through some pigeons is not a big deal. I'd also question if your average park pigeon is scared anyway.

One of the bars we regularly visit has floor to ceiling windows and it's surrounded by market stalls. It's a city centre so there's loads of pigeons. Twice I've seen a pigeon fly into a window, not realising there was a barrier. The first time the pigeon flew away, although how hurt it was I don't know. This Sunday it happened again. There was a bang, the window actually seemed to move and the pigeon dropped out of sight. I found it really upsetting. About five minutes later someone (I think from one of the stalls) came along with a carton, went to pick up the bird, presumably found it was dead, and nudged it into the box with his foot and carried it away. There was a young couple next to us. The girl laughed when the pigeon went into the window and carried on laughing at the bird until it was taken away (the person with her didn't seem too impressed). She'd probably been brought up believing harm to an animal is alright if the animal doesn't fall within the right criteria. All I could think that I'd just seen a creature that one moment was happily flying around and the next second had (presumably) broken it's neck.

Would the people who think it's alright to teach their child to terrorise pigeons encourage them to do the same to other doves? They're all part of the same family. Many of the birds in our city centre are ring-collared doves, but lump birds in a category judged on the way they look and they're all fair game.

'teaching their children to terrorise pigeons'
God Alive.

Watch out for them.