Fly, my pretties!
Animal rights groups have appealed to Pope Francis to end the practice of releasing doves from a Vatican window overlooking St. Peter's Square, a day after a pair of the peace symbols were attacked by a seagull and crow while a crowd including thousands of children watched below.
The National Animal Protection Agency published an open letter reminding the pope that domesticated doves are easy prey for predators like gulls.
Gulls nest atop the colonnade of St. Peter's Square, near the Tiber River, and scavenge for garbage in Rome. The animal protection agency, known as ENPA, said freeing doves in Rome is like "condemning them to certain death."
"Animals born in captivity, not being wild animals, aren't able to recognize predators as such and are thus incapable of fleeing from possible dangerous situations," ENPA said, adding it was launching a signature petition to garner the pope's attention.
Die, my pretties!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/the-pope/10600891/Italian-animal-rights-group-calls-on-Pope-stop-to-releasing-doves-after-attack.html
