When the ecological Pope Francis released some white doves as a sign of peace they were attacked by a corvid and a larid see here, here, here.
How metaphorical can you get?
My reactions were varied:
1. The nerdy birder: it’s not a ‘seagull’ – it looks like Larus michahellis to me with those yellow legs (I’ve been on a course, don’t you know?). And it’s not a ‘big black crow’ it’s your standard-sized Hooded Crow though this one does have quite a lot of black on the breast – interesting.
2. The writer: the doves are referred to as ‘defenceless’ and the gull and crow as ‘vicious’. Whose side are we meant to be on do you think?
3. The scientist: what do you expect – releasing bright-white naive domestic animals into the real world of predators? Predators tend to go for the unusual and weak-looking. It’s an everyday story of predators and prey.
4. The nature conservationist: what a good example of a well-meaning but badly-judged introduction where nature gets blamed!
5. The atheist: typical!
6. The nature-lover: just another story that will make people think that gulls, crows and, indeed, nature as a whole, is nasty. It’s an uphill battle.
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I’m certain that there MUST be an EU directive to prevent release of animals into the wild without first carrying out extensive environmental impact assessments, etc.
The Vatican isn’t in the EU, but it does seem to be evidence of such a thing happening in EU countries… Oh there goes another pheasant running past my office window
The Lord works in mysterious ways his wonders to perform!
Hope everyone noticed the ‘interesting ‘ black spot on the outer web of P4 on the gull, not ‘ normal’ for YLG
Clearly its the fault of the littering pilgrims who must be feeding both the gull and the crow……just keep your church in order.
A peregrine attack would have been more spectacular
And on the eight day, God created the gull and the crow, and said “verrily, these two beautiful creatures I’ve just created (and which I’m particularly pleased* with by the way, just look at the irredescent plumage on that corvid) need to eat as much as any other, so if they have to take a few white doves in the process, then fair enough.”
* I nearly said “chuffed” but that’s a pun too awful even for me
I like the way the Mail felt it had to put the word ATTACKED in capitals – how much help does it think it’s readers need getting the true SENSE of the story?
A beautiful YLG
I had the same reactions, in a different order.
Miguel – welcome and thanks!
Miguel – welcome and thanks!