San Francisco metro hire hawk to stop pigeon poo problem
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Bay Area Rapid Transit system travel system in San Francisco has recruit!
Travellers using El Cerrito del Norte station may have come across the metro system's newest staff member, Pac-Man.
Pac-Man is a Harris hawk who has swooped in to help the station tackle its pigeon problem.
Specifically, its pigeon poo problem.
Pac-Man and his handler, Ricky Ortiz, protect the station and it's passengers from pigeon poo!
They work three days a week and start their day clearing pigeons from the entrance before making their way to the platforms.
Harris hawks live between 12-15 years in the wild and up to 25 years in captivity
Mr Ortiz says he has already noticed a big difference in the numbers of pigeons around the station.
In an interview with Reuters news agency he said: "There was probably less than half of the pigeons here after the week of us flying."
Harris hawks do like to hunt smaller birds, like pigeons, and to keep Pac-Man from snacking on the job, Ricky keeps him well stocked on more suitable foods to keep him happy during the day.
Passengers who have noticed Pac-Man on their travels have even taken selfies with the hero hawk!
- Published10 August 2022
- Published9 August 2022
- Published10 August 2022