- It is Vegas, after all.
Everything that happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Or at least that’s the way the saying goes.
This news story is about weird happenings in Vegas, too. Really weird, and involving pigeons.
Someone, from somewhere, is dolling pigeons up and adorning them with cowboy hats. This past week, there have been several reports of the Las Vegas birds with the decorative and colorful cowboy headwear.
The question is, who is doing this? Or better yet why? Are the pigeons ok? Turns out there are a lot of questions!
How about this. Did you know that there is a pigeon rescue and advocacy group? Because there is. And their slogan is, “A Pigeon Positive Movement,” and they want some answers.
Lofty Hopes is run by Mariah Hillman and after several days of searching, they finally tracked down the pigeon in the red hat, who they’ve named Cluck Norris. There’s one in the pink hat, they’ve named Coo-Lamity Jane, that’s still out roaming the wild west.
There is a pigeon dotting a brown hat, too, but that pigeon is still said to be on the loose.
The birds went viral last week after a video shot by local Bobby Lee was picked up by the local media. People have also reported seeing the fancy birds out and about.
People connected the National Finals Rodeo being in town to spotting the birds, but the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association had “nothing to do with the pigeons wearing cowboy hats,” according to ProRodeo Sports News editor Scott Kaniewsk.
Lofty Hopes operates in Las Vegas and works to help injured wild and domesticated pigeons, along with other birds and animals. Hillman said at first thought, the birds were cute, but did quickly develop concerns for the safety of the birds when it seemed the hats were permanently secured.
“We could wait until they molt it off, wait until he loses his feathers when it gets warm out,” she suggested. “Oil neutralizes glue, but then you have the issue of an oily pigeon.”
Since Cluck Norris has been found, Lofty Hopes has set a trap to capture him and see how to remove it safely. People keep feeding the bird though, and thus, it has been hard to lure him as he is “not interested in food.”
After capture, the birds will need to spend some time at the rescue so that they can be de-cowboyed, maybe even through the Spring until the molt off the hats.