What You Should Know About The New And Improved Las Vegas Pigeon Laws
Welcome to Las Vegas, Sin City: where it is illegal to feed the pigeons. Although this new law may sound bizarre there are actually a lot of good reasons for it’s implementation. In attempt to combat the rising pigeon populations (and the damage they cause) Clark County lawmakers have placed a ban on feeding the birds. Keep reading to find out more about the new Las Vegas pigeon laws, and why they are necessary.
What Do These New Las Vegas Pigeon Laws Mean?
On November 21st, 2017 Clark County lawmakers officially made it illegal to feed the pigeons. Under these new Las Vegas pigeon laws, if you are caught feeding the birds you can get stuck with a fine of up to $1,000 and/or as much as 6 months jail time! Going to sunset park to feed the birds is now a misdemeanor crime. But before you go cursing this law, and chastising it for absurdity; it would be smart to find out why it was put into place.
What Do Pigeons Need To Survive?
In reality, pigeons do not need much to survive. As long as they have food, water, and somewhere safe to sleep and breed, they will be fine. Pigeons will set up shop around the most reliable food source. It is not uncommon to see pigeons getting food in less than sanitary places. You can often find them congregating at trash bins, or picking through animal droppings hoping to find undigested seed. And as mere mortals, we can’t often stop this. However, we can stop feeding them. When we feed pigeons we present them with a new food source; one that is more reliable that picked through animal droppings. Once this is established, the pigeons ( and their droppings) will come and make themselves at home. This can be especially bad for highly populated areas such as Las Vegas.
Two Reasons You Shouldn’t Feed The Pigeons
- Pigeons Cause Damage – Pigeon poop is very acidic. Meaning it has the ability to corrode concrete (and other) structures. Apart from that pigeons have a habit of nesting in rooftop AC units. This can cause a variety of problems. Things can become damaged and clogged. However, the worst of it comes when the pigeon droppings begin to buildup. When this happens pigeon droppings have the potential to make in into the airways. This can cause a lot of problems in your home; but think of the damage that might be done if that happened in a big Las Vegas casino.
- Pigeons Carry Disease – Pigeons, and their droppings carry diseases that can be passed on to humans. In areas with high pigeon populations, you are sure to see a lot of pigeon waste as well. Although it is uncommon to be affected health-wise by simply walking past some droppings on the street; when those droppings build it up it can be very dangerous. Pigeon droppings carry spore-like viruses that affect the repository system. For the average Joe, this might be treatable with some simple antibiotics. However, for those who suffer from prolonged exposure, or already have weaker immune systems; it is not uncommon for these diseases to result in death.
What You Should Do If You Have A Pigeon Complaint
The new Las Vegas pigeon laws will be constantly enforced in high traffic areas like strips or public parks. However what do you do if you have a more residential complaint? If you notice a neighbor is feeding the pigeons, or encouraging their gathering by leaving food in their yard; call 311 to report the pigeon public nuisance!