Pigeons are trapped and dying under an overpass in Bayonne
Last week, the city of Bayonne installed netting under the 8th Street overpass to stop keep out birds and put an end to an issue with bird droppings. But the netting was installed before all of the birds were freed. Many are trapped and some have died.
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In Bayonne, the city recently installed netting under the 8th Street bridge to keep out the pigeons and prevent bird droppings from piling up on the sidewalk below.
But not all of the birds were removed before the netting went up leaving many trapped for the last seven days.
The pigeons stuck behind the black netting, can often be seen pacing frantically, searching for a way out, while adults on the outside are often returning to feed juveniles through the netting. The City of Bayonne has set traps with food and water to capture and free the birds and officials have promised to return every 48 hours to check traps.
But some neighbors watching what's taking place say its not fast enough to help dying birds. Darlene Dynega was able to get six of the pigeons that were released on Monday. She drove the birds to The Raptor Trust in Millington, New Jersey to be rehabilitated.
“Last night, I was there with a little baby I found on the side over there and she said it was so starved there was no flesh just the bone. There were about 40 to 50 pigeons up there suffering dying. And it’s so inhumane, this is animal cruelty at it’s worst. You have living beings up there desperately trying to get out," said Dynega.
Dynega would like the birds to be removed by hand to prevent anymore birds from dying. But city officials have told her they are not allowed to do that.
Pigeons are not a protected species under the management of the New Jersey state Fish and Game.
