Pigeon rescued after being allegedly ‘kicked by tourist’: Malta Ranger Unit

By Matthew Bonanno

Pigeon rescued after being allegedly 'kicked by tourist': Malta Ranger Unit

A pigeon that was allegedly kicked off the steps of the Mosta Rotunda by a tourist was rescued by the Malta Ranger Unit. According to a post on the NGO鈥檚 Facebook page on Wednesday, the pigeon was 鈥渕inding its own business鈥 when an individual kicked it with full force, causing it to fall down the steps. 鈥淎 person nearby saw it and rushed to assist the pigeon who curled up injured in a corner afterwards,鈥 the group said. After being alerted by the same person, rangers went onsite to retrieve the injured bird. 鈥淭hey may not be a protected bird species, but that doesn’t justify cruelty. We fully condemn this action.鈥 The group said the pigeon, which it had named Pirate, would be cared for until it recovered. In a separate case of animal cruelty, CCTV footage obtained last week by Times of Malta showed the moment a man is seen slamming a cat to the ground in the middle of the night in Sliema. The incident, which occurred on June 11, confirmed the worst fears of residents and animal welfare advocates, who believe the killing is connected to a wider series of similar attacks across Malta over the past weeks.

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