PETERBOROUGH: In a bizarre incident, as many as 10,000 pigeons mysteriously disappeared during a 270 kilometres race in Peterborough, England.
According to reports, the pigeons went missing during mid-race in Peterborough. As many as 9,000 birds were from the North East of England alone. It is now estimated that 40 per cent of them didn’t return home. The full number of missing birds has not been calculated but it is estimated that 5,000-10,000 are missing.
Concerned and baffled pigeon fanciers have now appealed for help as many of the birds have still not returned.
Pigeon racing is the sport of releasing specially trained homing pigeons from one point to another. They usually return to their homes over a carefully measured distance.
Some owners said a “solar storm” above the clouds may have disoriented the birds and thrown off their homing instinct.
Richard Sayers, who lives 170 miles from the race, said 300 birds went missing from a loft, where pigeon racing is a way of life. He has now appealed to the public to give shelter to the missing birds, Daily Mail reported.
“Out there is tens of thousands of racing pigeons that are tired and lost, the static atmospheric conditions are more than likely to blame and resulted in the majority not finding their way home, there’s a chance someone reading this will have one land in their garden or workplace if you do then please don’t ignore it, put down a bowl of water and some seed/rice to help it on its way, you’ll know it’s a race bird as it will have rings around its feet,” Sayers wrote on Facebook.
“Most of the breeders I’m talking to are blaming the atmospheric conditions, possibly a solar storm above the clouds that created static in the atmosphere, but no one really knows,” he added.
