© Krysta Rogers
California's only native pigeon is the band-tailed pigeon, which spends springs and summer in the Bay Area and other parts of Northern California
California's only native pigeon is the band-tailed pigeon, which spends springs and summer in the Bay Area and other parts of Northern California
At least 1,000 of the pigeons, which winter in Central and Southern California, have been found dead in Santa Clara and Santa Barbara counties since December, the apparent victims of a parasite spread by the common rock pigeon, said Krysta Rogers, an environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The sudden increase in mortality is disturbing, Rogers said, because the closest living relative to the extinct passenger pigeon has been struggling for decades to recover from rampant hunting, habitat loss and other environmental problems.
Comment: Considering that bear attacks appear to be growing globally, it is not surprising that wildlife management officials are seeking some kind of solution. The animal kingdom has been acting strangely, with all types of both wild animals and pets attacking people, often with no provocation. The articles below are just a few examples of recent bear attacks SOTT has been collecting: