At 9:24 a.m. on March 8, a pigeon attacked a staff member at Los Banos High School. A couple of weeks prior to the incident, students reported that they had seen a pigeon start to nest down the hall. On the morning of the incident, the pigeon had been flying back and forth down the hallway, and when the bell rang to dismiss students from their first period it finally attacked.
The staff member who had been attacked ran into their classroom screaming, almost knocking down students who had been entering at the same time. This was not the first occurrence of an incident such as this. Apparently, the pigeon had previously been chasing students into their classes, and had charged at them if they were standing close to where the nest was located.
After the incident, the staff member started facing severe anxiety and stated, “I feel like I’m going to get dive-bombed by a pigeon. I feel unsafe standing outside of my classroom to greet my students and now that the pigeon is a mother, I am only expecting it to attack more.”
Students, in disbelief of the pigeon’s aggressive nature, have even theorized that this bird may be spyware or a robot of some kind.
Given the open layout of Los Banos High School, it is not new for birds to be flying around the campus. But for the first time, a bird has finally started attacking people. Many speculate that although pigeons are not known for attacking people, they may begin to when they feel that their offspring are in danger.
Species will attack if their nesting areas are disturbed, and it will continue to attack until a person leaves the area. The pigeon has started to become a threat to both students and staff.
Many members of Los Banos High feel unsafe to stand outside their classrooms or even walk through the common hallways. School officials have started investigating the matter to try and find the best way to deal with this recurring issue. While implementing a bird trap or repellent may be the most efficient way to get rid of the pigeon, it may pose another safety concern towards students and staff members.
As of now, custodians are idling and waiting to see when the pigeon flies away so that they may knock down the nest; in hopes that the pigeon relocates and that the school campus is a safe space for everyone again.
