The best minds in
town were trying to figure out yesterday who or what was killing the pigeons
of San Francisco.
The bodies of 39 birds turned up
early yesterday in three San Francisco neighborhoods. Authorities said
they were baffled.
``One of my officers saw one pigeon
literally fall from the sky,'' said Captain Vicky Guldbech of the Department
of Animal Care and Control.
``This is very, very odd. We've really
seen nothing like this before.''
A street sweeper found the first
small corpse early yesterday in Maiden Lane, feet up.
``At first I thought it was shot,''
said sweeper Jack McGann. ``But then I found the other three, and that
many dead pigeons points to poison.''
Minutes later, someone else noticed
15 more pigeon corpses in Union Square, near the stage, and called the
cops. Several officers rushed to the scene, and a captain showed up, too.
Small shrouds were placed over the
bodies of the deceased.
``It's sad if someone did this,''
said Linda Mjellen of the Union Square Association. ``On the other hand,
it's not sad to see pigeons gone.''
Guldbech said there was no evidence
of deliberate poisoning. She said disease or toxic plants could be the
cause.
Later in the morning, the bodies
of 10 more dead pigeons turned up the Castro district. Another 10 pigeons
went feet up near 13th and Division streets.
Animal control officers found no
spiked birdseed or other suspicious substances commonly associated with
pigeon poisonings.
``It's suspicious, but we really
don't know anything,'' Guldbech said.
. . .
Necropsies are scheduled for 9 a.m.
today at the Animal Care and Control hospital on 15th Street.
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