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Friday,
February 20, 2004 |
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Pigeon
deaths still a mystery
It
is unclear what caused at least six pigeons in the Moudy
atrium to vomit and die.
By
Lacey Krause and Lauren Lea
Contractors
who used a clear silicone caulking to replace a plane
of glass on the Moudy atrium Wednesday say they are not
responsible for the deaths of several pigeons.
In one hour, at least six birds became ill from an unknown
cause. The birds convulsed, vomited, foamed at the mouth
and died.
The university hired a crew from Econo-Glass and Mirror
to replace the glass. The crew secured the glass with
clear silicone caulking.
The company did not use any materials that would harm
birds, said Steve Corrado, the owner of Econo-Glass and
Mirror.
“We don’t use any chemicals or anything like
that,” Corrado said. “It’s the exact same
sealant they put on fish aquariums.”
When repairing a window, the caulking is inserted between
the glass and the window pane. The birds would be unlikely
to eat the caulking, Corrado said.
University employees collected the dead pigeons and placed
them in a dumpster. The Physical Plant had no part in
the birds’ deaths, said Will Stallworth, associate
vice chancellor for facilities.
Cynthia Miller-Skaggs, a certified volunteer for WildCare
Inc. Rehabilitation, said several things could have caused
the pigeons’ illness.
“It sounds like poison of some type, but they could
have gotten it from someone’s yard or from some water,”
Miller-Skaggs said.
Miller-Skaggs said the birds probably posed no health
threat to students.
Jason Lamers, planning and communication coordinator for
the Fort Worth Public Health Department, said it is difficult
to speculate on the pigeons’ cause of death.
“It could be all kinds of stuff,” he said. “With
the foaming at the mouth, it could possibly be a chemical.”
Several concerned students watched the pigeons’ odd
behavior.
“It’s such a slow, horrible way to die,”
said Rachel Rodenkirk, a junior studio art major. “They
were flipping around in circles and then they got sick.” |
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