Pigeon threatened with death after crossing the Pacific Ocean

If the story has something to smile about, it is nevertheless very serious.

Reported missing during a pigeon race organized in Oregon on October 29, a pigeon was found in Melbourne, nearly 13,000 kilometers away! It is assumed that the pigeon reached Australia on a freighter. A funny fact which did not fail to attract the attention of the press … And of the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, a federal agency recognized for its intransigence in charge of enforcing the quarantine laws in force in Australia.

Because the pigeon, baptized “Joe” by the person who found it, has no legal right to be in Australia. Indeed, his presence could “endanger Australia’s food security and our wild bird populations“, explained the Australian Department of Agriculture.”It poses a direct threat to Australia’s birdlife and our poultry industry “.

A fake ring?

But the story took a whole different turn on Friday. The ring that the pigeon “Joe” wears on the ankle suggested that it was an American show pigeon. However, according to several pigeon fanciers, Joe does not belong to a race of racing pigeon. The bird would actually belong to the Turkish Tumbler breed … and ultimately be Australian.

“They are not bred to fly long distances, but to perform tricks in the air. Rather, they are show birds,” Lars Scott of the association responsible for saving pigeons in Melbourne told AFP. . A version that the American Association of Racing Pigeons confirms on Facebook, affirming in passing that the American owner, to whom the ring allowed to go back, declared that he had never owned this pigeon.

A story that ultimately ends well for pigeon Joe.