Animal Diaries Archive

PigeonsLIVE

28 April 2006

As promised, this week you get the chance to meet the pigeons that perform at the start of every show. This is the newest segment in the show and we have used these very special critters to add a bit of comedy to the introduction of the show.

Basically how it works is that our presenter (which is most of the time one of the entertainment crew), walks out into the Crocoseum at the start of the show and picks a few volunteers to help out. They then give a brief description of how the volunteers should call the birds to them. This is where it all goes wrong. On releasing the pigeons they just take off out of the Crocoseum never to return, and it doesn't matter how much the presenter tries to get them back, they just keep going. The crowd really seems to enjoy it and it gives us a lighthearted start to the show. Hopefully the rest of the birds in the show don't follow their example!

I should tell you that they aren't lost forever, they just fly home to their aviary elsewhere in the Zoo. In the photo this week you can see Jason, one of our newest team members, doing his first lot of talking in the Crocoseum (which is an effort in itself) and releasing our pigeons. Leading the way is Ebony and Ivory (the two white ones), Mufussa (the white and blue bird), and Bruiser (the brown one). Still to exit and not far behind are Spots and Skidz bringing up the rear. With their fast direct flying out of the Crocoseum they really are a fantastic flock of birds to have.