A 16-second video of an unidentified woman trying to resuscitate a seemingly dead pigeon in Glasgow, Scotland went viral online on April 19, 2017. The short clip was uploaded on Twitter by a user named Charlotte (@Charlismyname). Charlotte posted the video with the following caption: "Meanwhile in Glasgow. #pigeonCPR". The dark and comical clip was shared and liked thousands of times. In the video, the woman can be seen sticking the bird's beak into her mouth and breathing into it. She also attempted doing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by pressing and releasing her fingers into the pigeon's chest.
Watch the video here. [The video is hosted on Twitter. You can still watch it even if you don't have an account with the social media site.]
Unfortunately, the bird is already dead. Its neck flopped when the woman tried to steady the bird on her palms. The neck-flopping along with the bird's legs that have straightened and devoid of movement are signs that the pigeon was already dead. Props to the woman though for trying to give the bird a second chance at life.
Is CPR for birds like pigeons effective?
A quick search on Google for bird CPR resuscitation brings out hundreds of relevant results. Well, that tells you something. Pigeon CPR is not as absurd as you might think. Pet owners have been doing it albeit with varying results. An article from Audubon magazine states that CPR is an important option you have if you want to save an ailing or injured bird.
According to the piece, the first thing you should do is open the bird's beak to see if there's any obstruction. Try to find a pulse then proceed. You have to be extra careful in giving the bird CPR because the bones and organs in the bird's chest area are sensitive.
In a nutshell, performing CPR on a bird can be a life-saver. Just make sure you do it right or you end up crushing your beloved pet's internal organs and bones.
Comments about the video from Reddit:
- Bird hearts beat pretty fast, I don't think she has the right compression rhythm for bird CPR at all. And don't even get me started on bird law.
- With breaths that long I bet she popped the lungs.
- This pigeon is no more. It has ceased to be. It's expired and gone to meet its maker. This is a late pigeon. It's a stiff. Bereft of life, it rests in peace. If you hadn't nailed it to the perch, it would be pushing up the daisies. It's rung down the curtain and joined the choir invisible. This is an ex-pigeon.
