Homeowners near a safari park in Britain have come up with a novel product for scaring away unwanted birds that are nesting on their roofs: the pungent-smelling faeces of lions and tigers.
”We get many requests for people to come in and take lion or tiger dung to help scare away predators, birds and other pests,” said Gary Gilmour, manager of Blair Drummond Safari Park near the southern Scottish city of Stirling.
Gilmour said homeowners are resorting to the measure because animal-protection laws forbid them from removing or damaging nests.
”It might seem unusual, but it seems to get results,” the park manager added.
Kwik-Fit Insurance said claims for damage caused by birds nesting are common among its customers.
”Many homes suffer from structural deterioration each year from nesting birds, which can lead to million of pounds of damage,” Kwik-Fit MD Martin Oliver said.
Oliver said he had never heard of a customer using lion or tiger dung as a solution, ”but I don’t think we’d give them a discount for it”.
”We might offer them nose plugs to block the smell when they’re spreading it, though,” he added. — Sapa-AFP