I saw a man kill a pigeon
I am not a fan of pigeons. To me they are like flying rats almost. The Singapore government sees them as pests too. Consequently, they are one of the few non-protected species in Singapore.
But seeing someone kill a pigeon before my eyes today shook me. Even pests don’t deserve cruelty.
I was walking along the pavement when I saw this old man on a mobility scooter throw uncooked rice to feed chickens. This is technically not allowed in Singapore but I was willing to let it slide given the man’s age. Suddenly, the man took out his walking stick and shooed away pigeons that also came to feast on the rice. Fair enough, I guess?
To my horror, he proceeded to whacking a pigeon that somehow got trapped. Is this really happening? He gave it a few solid hits before I managed to gather myself. At this point, the bird couldn’t really fly and it seemed like its wing was broken. I told the man to stop hurting the bird. He had the temerity to reply that it had been eating the food meant for the chicken. Did he think that this was somehow a justification for being so cruel? I was at a loss at this point and just stayed with the pigeon which was thrashing about with one wing. I could hear that it was in distress, making sounds I had never heard a pigeon make before. The cruel old man just stood there looking at the pigeon, almost like some killer admiring his handiwork.
Rather belatedly, I realised I should take a photo of him so that I could make a report. In trying to be sneaky about it, I didn’t manage to get a clear front shot of him (much to my regret). Then the bugger eventually got onto his scooter and rode off.
When I went back to check the pigeon, it had stopped moving. I took a stick and prodded it, no movement. I threw a tiny pebble at it, I heard a thud. The pigeon had gone rigid. And it’s then I realised that it was not merely injured. It was dead. The old man had killed it in cold blood.
I decided I had to call it in and made a report to NParks (the govt agency that oversees animal issues), only to be told that someone would come and collect the carcass for investigation. But it seemed like they couldn’t guarantee that the murderer would be brought to justice.
As I write this, I wonder if I could have done more. If so, what. But I also remember the pitiful sounds the pigeon made as it lay there, slowly dying. All I could do for it was to wish it peace.