NEW YORK — A young domestic pigeon that was deliberately dyed pink and found last week in a New York City park has died from its ordeal, a wildlife rehabilitation center said.
The king pigeon, named Flamingo by its rescuers, might have been the victim of a celebration – social media posters speculated it was a gender reveal – but the Wild Bird Fund said it didn't know for sure.
What the rehabilitation center does know is that Flamingo was spotted last week in Madison Square Park in New York City. Someone rescued him, and the pigeon ended up at the Wild Bird Fund.
The rehabilitation center tried several methods of removing the dye – which staff members thought was hair dye – with only partial success. The dye had a strong odor, and inhaling the fumes was listed as the pigeon's likely cause of death on Tuesday.
The Wild Bird Fund said Flamingo was malnourished and barely older than a baby. He had no survival skills and was left to fend for himself.
"Even without the added complication of the toxic dye, he would not have survived in a city park as a white, helpless bird," the wildlife center said on Facebook.
The center said that domestic birds should never be released into the wild.
"'Dove releases' sound romantic, but take away the decorations and Instagram photos, and they are the equivalent of dumping your helpless pets on the side of the road," according to Wild Bird Fund. "This is no way to celebrate anything."
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