Australia goes in search of pigeon Joe | He…

Australian authorities consider euthanizing carrier pigeon that would have crossed the Pacific in a boat from the United States, as it could threaten the biodiversity of the particular Australian ecosystem.

The pigeon reportedly disappeared in October during a race in Oregon, United States, and he only appeared on December 26 with obvious signs of fatigue outside the home of Kevin Chelli Bird, a resident of the Australian city of Melbourne.

Chelli Bird told the Herald Sun newspaper that the bird had a ring on its paw, which enabled her to track down the owner of “Joe”., so nicknamed in reference to the new American president, who lives in Alabama. “We think during the race she veered, headed out to sea, landed on a boat and was taken away,” he joked.

For its part, the Australian Department of Agriculture and the Environment said on Friday in a statement that if the pigeon is confirmed to be from the United States, it could pose a “risk” to the native bird population and the poultry industry – valued at $ 2,875 million – because the bird could “carry a series of diseases”.

In this regard, Australian officials have decided launch an operation to capture Joe in order to confirm his provenance, so they asked for “the urgent cooperation of the people” to locate the pigeon.

In the meantime, the environment department has indicated that “it is studying options to assess and manage biosecurity risks”, which “The repatriation of the pigeon to the United States, which would require the agreement of the competent American authorities.”

Australia has strict quarantine laws for animals coming in from overseas due to the many problems it has suffered throughout its history due to the introduction of non-native species that damage its unique ecosystem .

So much so that today it continues with problems such as the overpopulation of wild horses and camels, or the pests of the poisonous toad (Rhinella marina), introduced in Australia in 1935 and threatening several native species since then.

On the other hand, the pigeon odyssey has caused uproar among thousands of Australians who have already started the “Save Joe” petition on the Change digital platform, which already has 1,000 signatures.

The American Carrier Pigeon Union, for its part, said Joe “does not wear a real headband” from his organization, fueling doubts about the bird’s true origin.