STUDENTS LIVING in campus accommodation have recently found themselves besieged… by hoards of pigeons looking for a way out of the cold!
Several students living in James College have reported seeing pigeons trying to break into their rooms, or after being away, finding them already there.
One student, who returned from Christmas to find three pigeons making a home out of her duvet told Vision, “I now seem to live in constant fear of pigeons; I know they’ll be back!” Another student, who refused to be named for fear of retribution, described his initial reaction upon seeing two pigeons settling on his windowsill as feeling, “very scared and alone.”
The University is aware of the problem, stating that “like most birds when unexpectedly in a confined space, they panic. Students should close their room windows when they are out or away.” YUSU tells Vision they are confident that the University has the appropriate measures in place to deal with the issue.
Although it’s unclear if this problem is widespread on other areas of the campus, for the moment residents of James College seem determined to keep their windows firmly shut in the future.
The University further reassures students that, “Pigeons are highly unlikely to be aggressive.”