The latest in home improvement ... tiger dung

Homeowners have found an unlikely repellent to nuisance birds nesting in their guttering – tiger and lion dung.

Safari parks and zoos across the country say they receive regular requests from people keen to prevent birds setting up home in their properties. The scent of animal dung scares off birds, stopping them from nesting – or so the theory goes.

Gary Gilmour, manager of Blair Drummond Safari Park, near Stirling, said people often visited to the park to collect the dung from their big cats.

“It might seem unusual but it seems to get results,” he said. “Demand for it varies, but is normally higher in the summer.”