Pigeons are seemingly harmless birds who prance around and coo at public places. However, when they gather in a large flock, they can become an eyesore and leave behind a stinky mess with their droppings.
A local professor has recently put forth a bold solution to Penang’s pigeon overpopulation issue — that Malaysians should consider consuming these birds to control the its numbers.
Professor: M’sians should eat pigeons to reduce its population
Speaking to Kwong Wah Yit Poh in an exclusive interview, the professor named Huang Hong Zhen (transliteration) said that on Penang Island alone, a total of 6,000 pigeons were captured and subsequently culled last year.
However, he opined that culling pigeons was a waste and suggested that Malaysians should instead eat the bird.
Pigeons are like the chicken that we eat daily as they both are of the same breed. Thus, if everyone is comfortable eating pigeons, perhaps it could help reduce its growing population.
“Pigeons are also unlike crows, and feed only on grains and rice. Even if they were to scavenge for food at trash bins, they will only pick the food that they like,” he explained.
Huang, who has been studying birds for the past 40 years, also assured Malaysians that pigeons are generally “clean” birds and urged the Penang Island City Council (MPPP) to offer captured pigeons for public consumption.
He also called upon the public to stop feeding pigeons at public places as it would only encourage the birds to congregate and breed even more.
What do you think of the professor’s suggestion? Share with us in the comments!
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