Italian Canal City Saves Centuries-Old Statues At San Marco Square By Shooing Pigeons

October 2, 2008 11:31 a.m. EST

Venice, Italy (AHN) - After several months of battling thousands of pigeons hovering over Piazza San Marco, Venice has declared victory. From 20,000 the canal city's pigeon population has dwindled to less than 1,000.

City officials attribute the change to a campaign they launched in May to ban vendors who sell bird feed to tourists. While the friendly birds are considered a tourist attraction too, next to Venice's famous canals and gondola rides, the pigeons destroy the centuries-old statues and buildings when they peck at corners to reach for food thrown by tourists. The birds' droppings on the landmarks have also been blamed for eroding the metal material on some of the landmarks.

The campaign was part of a city-wide effort to make San Marco Square cleaner. To implement the campaign, aside from prohibiting the sale of bird food, stewards patrolled the area to check on litterbugs, stop tourists from wading their feet on the canal and city fountains and remind half naked tourists to be properly clothed.