A racing pigeon that faced death after thinking it traveled 8,000 miles from the United States to Australia was spared after it was discovered that it was the victim of an identity error.
The Australian government said the bird, named “Joe” in honor of President-elect Joe Biden, according to Australia’s 9 News, could have traveled 8,000 miles from America over the Pacific Ocean, violating the country’s strict biosafety rules in the process.
The Melbourne resident, aptly named, Kevin Celli-Bird, found the pigeon with a tag that identified it as being from Alabama on December 26, according to Australian officials. The country’s agriculture department was relentless and said the bird’s “destruction” could be necessary to protect the country’s unique wildlife.
However, the bird is likely to be Australian and its blue stripe, indicating that it came from the United States, is false, the Australian Department of Agriculture said later.
“After an investigation, the department concluded that Joe the Pigeon is very likely to be Australian and is not at risk for biosafety,” the department said in a statement on Friday.
“What a relief to know that Joe the Pigeon, found in Australia, does not wear genuine clothing [racing] “the American Pigeon Racing Union said in a Facebook statement late on Thursday.
“The pigeon found in Australia has a fake bracelet and does not need to be destroyed by biosafety measures because its real home is in Australia,” the statement added. “It is a disappointment that false information spreads so quickly, but we appreciate that the real pigeon has not strayed from the USA”
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The topic has become a talking point in Australia, with a flurry of messages of support on social media and even senior politicians participating in the debate.
“If Joe came in a way that did not meet our strict biosafety measures, unlucky Joe. Fly home or face the consequences,” Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack told reporters on Thursday.
Speaking to 9 News, Celli-Bird, who discovered the bird, said it almost received a very different name.
“My wife called him Joe. She was going to call him Donald, but we thought it wouldn’t be politically correct, so she called him Joe,” he told Nine Network.
Australia has strict quarantine regulations on bringing live animals or birds into the country to prevent the spread of disease on the arid continent.
Reuters contributed to this report
