CROW urges Durban businesses to explore safer bird repellents
A local wildlife centre says Durban property and business owners should steer clear of using deadly repellent gels - saying they are threatening indigenous bird life.
The product is applied on roofs, and building rafters to prevent feral pigeons from nesting there. The Centre for Rehabilitation of Wildlife says just 33% of these are pigeons.
This week - CROW was called out to two near-fatal cases involving King Fisher Birds.
"The theory behind the gel is that the birds will land in it, they see the sticky residue as a foreign substance, and fly away alerting other birds. Even if it's just getting on their feet, that gel sticks to their feet.
"It then attracts any piece of dirt or rubbish or anything that the bird touches. It gets onto the bottom of their chest feathers, tail feathers and the tips of their wings," CROW director, Paul Hoyte said.
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The substance prevents the bird from breathing and affects its ability to fly.
Hoyte says there are harmless options of preventing birds from nesting on properties.