Pigeons as Experimental Subjects

According to media reports, cruel experiments on pigeons are currently being conducted at the University of Konstanz.

One of the animals involved in the experiment was found disoriented and exhausted in Switzerland; it had been fitted with a plastic helmet on its head and a tracking transmitter on its back, significantly impairing its vision and ability to fly. The current “research project” at the University of Konstanz is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) to the tune of 1.2 million euros — an organisation that funds animal experiments at universities and other institutions on a large scale using public money. In an open letter the animal rights organisation PETA is now calling on the project director at the University of Konstanz to immediately halt the cruel experiments and to adopt animal-free research methods in the future.

“With the financial support of the German Research Foundation, the University of Konstanz is conducting cruel experiments on animals — not for the first time — and those responsible are not even required to demonstrate any prospect of success in advance,” said Stephanie Kowalski, veterinarian and specialist advisor against animal testing at PETA. “Forward-looking and responsible research does not rely on regressive or unethical animal experiments, but instead focuses on relevant questions and animal-free alternative methods.”

In 2014, the DFG had 2.8 billion euros from public funds available to finance various projects — including animal experiments. The current experiment on pigeons is co-funded under the Reinhart Koselleck Project and is intended to address the “visualization of the brain's response to magnetoreception” — in other words, to shed light on how animals perceive the Earth's magnetic field. To be awarded a Koselleck Project grant, only the curriculum vitae of the “researcher” and the innovativeness of the project are considered — foreseeable prospects of success as a guarantee for the research undertaking are not required.

Experiments such as the current one at the University of Konstanz are only carried out because humans exploit pigeons as “sporting equipment” for racing competitions. By nature, there are no so-called carrier pigeons or messenger pigeons — humans exploit the animals' loyalty and their navigational abilities. Originally, this “forced training” dates back to the requirements of armed conflict; pigeons were “animals of war.” Today there is email, telephone, and fax — and therefore no reason to cause suffering to these sensitive animals.

Press Release from Swiss Animal Protection STS

The rescue of a completely exhausted and disoriented pigeon brought a cruel experiment conducted by the University of Konstanz to the attention of Swiss Animal Protection STS. The bird, fitted with a plastic helmet on its head and a transmitter on its back, was found on 2 September near Mammern in the canton of Thurgau and taken into the care of animal welfare workers.

When it was found, the pigeon sat motionless on the ground and did not resist being caught. This unusual behavior is hardly surprising given the cruel manipulations inflicted on the bird before it was sent on its blind flight: the pigeon was fitted with a plastic helmet secured with cords. The helmet was attached in such a way that the animal's vision was completely obstructed and its upper airways were partially covered as well.

As a result, the pigeon was forced to fly blind and was also unable to take in sufficient oxygen. Its sense of smell, which is important for orientation during flight, was also impaired. A local anaesthetic applied to the nasal cavity prior to release is likely to have caused a complete loss of the sense of smell. A transmitter was attached to the pigeon's back using double-sided Velcro. The underside of the Velcro appears to have been glued directly onto the skin after the back feathers were removed. The Velcro cannot be removed without causing extensive, deep tissue damage.

From the perspective of the Swiss Animal Protection STS, there are clear indications of negligent conduct on the part of the University of Konstanz. Suffering, fear, pain, and the possible death of the animal were knowingly accepted — in exchange for what was in all likelihood more than dubious “scientific insight.” The reprehensible free-flight experiment was intended to confirm the theory that pigeons can navigate solely by means of the Earth's magnetic field.

The Swiss Animal Protection STS expressed its protest in a letter to the responsible head of the institute at the University of Konstanz. The pigeon is currently being cared for at a wild bird rehabilitation centre. The STS refuses to return the tormented animal to those responsible for the experiment.