After an uproar at the trend of spray painting pigeons, Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) president Meenakshi Raman has called the trend an act of violence against animals.
The trend itself began when a trader in Kelantan, Malaysia spray-painted pigeons with rainbow colors to make "Rainbow pigeons" before being sold off as pets. The trader, Ismail Daud, has said that this act was a way to make ends meet, and that the multi-colored birds were popular among customers.
As reported by Berita Harian, he has been coloring pigeons for a year now. After purchasing the pigeons from a supplier, they get domesticated for up to one month before he spray paints them with two colors, a process he said takes about five minutes.
A matter of aesthetic or animal cruelty?
Raman weighed in, saying: "It is a violation of pigeon rights to sell pigeon-colored paints on pigeon feathers for business purposes to make money. Why should pigeon feathers be dyed?"
According to her, pigeons have their own natural pigments; dyeing them would affect the natural environment between the other pigeons as well as rob these colored pigeons of the ability to join their flock.
"Humans can dye their hair, mustache or beard. But dyes on the feathers of pigeons? What power do they have to paint?" she questioned. "Painted pigeons are left without the opportunity to join other pigeons. Applying chemical dyes on pigeons is a nuisance process."
She urged the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) to take action about the matter, also stressing that owners need to be responsible for the welfare of the animals in their care.
Not just about the colors.
Opposing the trend too is veterinarian Salehatul Khuzaimah Mohamad Ali, who said that the spray paint was dangerous as strong scents can be dangerous for birds.
"We might not know of the damage that happens internally. Maybe they don't die immediately, but what about the internal damage that happens?" she said in her Facebook post.
Expressing that this act is wrong, she told the public not to judge Ismail, but to spread awareness about the harmful effects of the spray paint, so that the issue will not happen again.
While some are attracted to the purple, pink, and blue colors of the birds, there are also those who are angry that the birds are subject to this treatment. Where do you stand on the matter?
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Cover image sourced from Harian Metro and Salehatul Khuzaimah Mohamad Ali / Facebook.
