Pink pigeon rescued from Corby could have been cruelly released at gender reveal party

A pigeon covered in pink dye could have been the victim of a gender reveal party, according to one of the people who tried to save it.

The bird, which was found in distress in Corby having been attacked by a cat, died after it was taken to Leicestershire Wildlife Hospital in Kibworth.

But now bosses at the sanctuary say they fear it was dyed pink as part of a social media fad to release birds at parties that reveal the gender of an unborn child.

The pigeon was severely malnourished and dehydrated and it’s thought it may have inhaled toxins in the dye.

Staff member Amy Ducker told local radio station HFM: “It was something we were aware of but we haven’t ever admitted one that’s been used for such purposes. Other centres have seen similar situations.

"In any case using domestic birds for releases at weddings or parties never seems to end that well for the pigeons or doves.

"They’re domestic animals and they’ve never lived in the wild so they don’t really know what they’re doing.

“But to then do that with a brightly coloured pigeon that’s got all sorts of chemicals flashed over it’s back and is obviously a target for predators that can see them more visibly it can cause so many issues for the pigeon.

"People obviously don’t realise when they see these trends going on on social media and they don’t even stop to think whether it’s something that’s right or wrong.

"I suppose they just look at it and think everyone’s doing it so it must be OK.”