Woman rescues pigeon using CPR
A crested pigeon. Flickr user Cinnamon80
An Adelaide woman has saved a pigeon’s life by giving the frail bird CPR when it stopped breathing.
Gail Daniell had been caring had been nursing the ant-covered bird for four days.
The Fauna Rescue SA volunteer told News Limited: "He came to me very sick, covered in ants and in a lot of pain. He was with his little brother, but unfortunately he didn't make it past the first day or so."
She had been looking after the wild-crested pigeon for four days when he choked and stopped breathing.
The Salisbury North resident think she didn’t think twice and just started with CPR.
"I gave him probably three or four little breaths and pumped his little chest a few times and he started to come back to life.
She learned the skill when doing a first aid course for humans a decade ago.
Fauna Rescue SA chairwoman Liz MacGuinness said it was the first time she had heard of CPR being administered on a bird.
"Birds especially are difficult because they're just so tiny and fragile," she said.
Now the pigeon has a new lease on life, he will hopefully be released into the wild in coming weeks.
