Missing racing pigeon dropped into meerkat pen at zoo after being attacked by buzzard

A missing Welsh racing pigeon has been returned to his owner after turning up injured at a Devon zoo. Staff at Dartmoor Zoo were left stunned this week when a world-class racing pigeon fell into the park after being attacked by a bird of prey. During a public talk at the meerkat enclosure, the meerkats signalled alarm at the presence of a bird overhead. Presentation team leader Justin Aird said: “It was an amazing coincidence.



“I was just giving a public talk about how the meerkats stand sentry duty to look out for birds of prey, when suddenly there was a commotion overhead. Moments later, the pigeon dropped out of the sky and landed nearby. The team quickly recovered the injured bird and took it into their care. Curator Colin Northcott said: “Obviously the bird was very shaken and had sustained some minor injuries but he was very lucky to have fallen where he did.

“If it had been anywhere else, even in a more remote part of the zoo, the buzzard would surely have finished him off. I was struck by its colouring and condition. It was clearly not a local bird.” Further investigation revealed a telephone number and identity ring which enabled staff to contact its owner Craig Dewar, from Abertillery, Blaenau Gwent, who was thrilled to hear the news. The pigeon, known on the racing circuit as “The Pit Man”, was lost five weeks ago when it failed to return home after participating in a race from Bergerac in the South of France, some 500 miles from home.



Mr Dewar had given up any hope of seeing him again. He said: “We named him The Pit Man because every time he returns from a race he comes straight over the Six Bells Colliery in Gwent. But his perch in our loft has been empty for five weeks now. I was thrilled to hear that he’d been recovered. When The Pit Man was born my grandfather, who’s been flying pigeons since 1955, said that this one was going to do well in racing, and he was right. He has a pile of performances in federation and Welsh National Racing. I just can’t believe that we have him back with us.”

There's a short video here.