NATIVE PIGEONS SHOT

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 September 1938, Page 5

NATIVE PIGEONS SHOT

SOUTH WESTLAND AREA According to a letter received from a well-informed correspondent of the Forest and Bird Protection Society who lives on the West Coast, native bird life in South Westland is being quickly killed out. This correspondent writes: —

“The delinquents are employees of Public Works camps which extend from Weheka (Fox Glacier) to Jackson’s Bay. This has. been all virgin country until recently. We know by bitter experience how every new road, every new bridge and track on the West Coast spells death to the birds, especially pigeons. In South Westland the marauders are from the cities (tney are not Coasters). Guns are in every camp, sporting guns. There are I plenty of deer to shoot, of course, but their interest is not in these. There are the pigeons right from the Waiho to Milford Sound. The only way to protect the birds is to protect them where they are, and South Westland was the last stronghold of the birds’ liberty and peace. It is maddening to think that these southern sanctuaries are now burst open by men who will shoot these quiet citizens of the forest who have remained unmolested for centuries.”

The president of the Forest and Bird Protection Society, Captain E. V. Sanderson, said he had brought this matter under the notice of the Hon. It. Semple, Minister of Public Works, who had expressed deep concern, at the reported slaughter of pigeons and had undertaken to have an investigation made.