Australian authorities investigate the case of 'Joe the Pigeon' who could be euthanised after being deemed a biosecurity risk

[tacobell fan]

Joe the pigeon showed up in an Australian residential backyard on Boxing Day and is believed to be an American racing pigeon that journeyed across the ocean on a ship. His arrival caused concern for Australia’s Agricultural Department who see him as a biosecurity risk to their native fauna and flora. Joe made headlines internationally when it was announced he was set to be destroyed but the department has since said it is exploring the possibility of "the re-export of the pigeon to the US." In a new development, the American Racing Pigeon Union has suggested that Joe the pigeon is an Australian bird after all and that the blue tag on his leg is in fact counterfeit. Australia's Agriculture Department said Joe's case is "currently being investigated."

[tacobell fan]

Who is Joe the pigeon?

"The pigeon turned up in Kevin Celli-Bird’s backyard in outer-suburban Melbourne on Boxing Day, exhausted and weak.

"Experts initially traced it to one that disappeared from a race in the US state of Oregon on October 29. They thought the pigeon – which Mr Celli-Bird named Joe after the US President-elect – had hitched a ride on a cargo ship." — The New Daily