Photo via Flickr.

This morning, at the crosswalk on Pearl St. Between Pasta Jay’s and the Daily Camera Building, a pigeon was in distress. Animal control was called. When he arrived, he told my friend and another bystander that the pigeon had been poisoned.

And, that there had been several instances of which he had witnessed this, even a squirrel.

He said he was aware of the fact that restaurants downtown were placing poison in food matter out in select areas to rid themselves of the “pigeon problem.”

Who else knows about this “secret” operation by business owners? And, is it part of our “sustainable streets” initiative? Is it city policy? Have restaurant owners been given permission. And, what other animal are being poisoned inadvertently? What if it somehow gets in the food chain?

With all this talk about the possible danger relating to genetically modified sugar beets, how come poisons are being used downtown? We hear a lot about what a great job Downtown Boulder Inc. is doing to make Pearl Street livable. So, what about this? And, whose responsibility is it to stop this illegal and dangerous activity?

What are the restrictions for lethal control of birds?

“No person may poison any wild bird or distribute poison with the intent to poison any wild bird. Nests may be removed from a structure but only if in compliance with the federal Migratory Species Treaty Act. For more information about the federal law and how to obtain a depredation permit, contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Birds, at 303-236-8155.”