Hawks to Protect Herculaneum from Pigeons

Submitted by Milica on Tue, 2005-02-01 15:25
Humans are not the only visitors to the ancient Roman city of Herculaneum. Pigeons have found a goldmine in the tourist hotspot, leaving behind a mess and forcing officials to try a new approach in pest control: hawks.

The nearly 400 pigeons a day who visited Herculaneum were not only leaving a mess behind, but also damaging the excavations with beaks and nests. In desperation, archaeologists have brought in hawks and falcons, natural enemies of the pesky pigeons.