Pigeon-Talk banner

Animal Rescue Rome Italy

2941 Views 7 Replies 7 Participants Last post by  KatinRome
Hey guys,

I came across this forum while I was looking for an Animal Rescue Centre in Rome Italy. I can't say I'm specifically a pigeon person but I am an animal and especially bird person.

I'm from Australia and am currently on holidays (honeymoon) in Rome and while i was visiting the baths of Caracalla (ancient roman ruins) the other day I saw a baby pigeon (too young to be out of the nest) on the ground being torn at by a hooded crow. I chased the crow off and I definitely didn't go into an out of bounds area to snatch up the little chick. When I had him i saw his beak and eye were all bloody and he couldn't walk on his right foot.

I was pretty upset and fearing the worst, so my wife and I packed him up into her backpack, and I slung it up baby bjorn style and we hurried out of the ruins in search of the nearest vet. It took us awhile to get there and in the end they couldn't help us but gave us the address and phone number of an organisation called LIPU.

We phoned but LIPU was shut at the time and so the pigeon had to come back to the hotel with us. We stopped at a supermarket on the way back to get a box and we put some tissues in to make him comfy. I cleaned up his eye and beak as best i could and we tried to make him comfortable but i didn't really expect him to make the night.

He was however still with us in the mourning and he was even looking a little bit better. His eye was gummed up with blood again but after I gently wiped that away he could finally open it up. I moved him out of his box to change the tissues and he even hobbled around a bit so I was hopeful his leg was only injured and not broken.

We packed him back up and ran him over to the animal shelter in a cab. They looked him over, felt his leg and listened to our story. They said it didn't seem as though any lasting damage had been done and that they would look after him until he was old enough to release.

I can't say how grateful we are to them for the work that they do. I wasn't sure we would find anyone to look after the little pigeon and when I first held him in my hands and looked at his bloodied face I thought the best that I might be able to do for him was find him a place to pass peacefully.

So the point of my post was really to just share the details of this organisation in case of the unlikely event someone else ends up in a similar situation. Also to give a bit of praise to a not for profit organisation doing some great work. Oh and maybe just to share a little bit of a lesson, that sometimes even when things seem like they won't work out they will so it's always worth trying and doing the best you can (a bit cliche i know).

Details then:
LIPU (Not for profit organisation)
Address: 2 Via Ulisse Aldrovandi, Rome, Italy
Phone: 06 320 1912
Website: http://www.lipu.it/

Ending on a sad note today we found two pigeons near the Colosseum tangled together flapping and tumbling. The string which had been wrapped around ones legs had become wrapped around the others neck. I grabbed them as carefully as I could and between myself, my wife and two other kindly tourists we managed to sever the string between the two with a set of keys. Sadly the one with the string around its neck didn't survive.
When they were apart we could see that the surviving pigeons legs were tightly bound in string which we couldn't untangle.

So another pigeon in the bag, this time for a trip to the closest chemist (LIPU was already shut for the day). We purchased a pair of small scissors before heading back to the Colosseum to remove the string. It was a tightly tangled mess but it didn't seem to have cut into the skin. My wife and I got it all off in the end but it wasn't that we released the pigeon and it stumbled on one its legs that I realized it had injured itself in the tussle. It was off before I could grab it however. Not a happy day for me.

Anyway that's it, didn't mean to take up too much of your time, keep caring about and looking after wildlife guys.
See less See more
1 - 8 of 8 Posts
Guygar, thank you for your kindnesses! You and your wife sound like wonderful caring people.
Thanks for sharing your story. Sorry for the other bird, but maybe this one will be alright. Thanks for helping them.
Thank you for this thread, I had a similar situation and as I couldn't het to LIPU (10pm) I found 24h open Vet: CENTRO VETERINARIO SPECIALISTICO SRL UNIPERSONALE, Via Sandro Giovanni 53, Roma RM.
The vet was treating the little one with utmost care and knew straight away how to handle him (they have even hospital for exotic animals so pigeon was not an odd case). He checked him thoroughly. Unfortunately the baby was attacked by some animal, had bare skull (skin off completely), fracture in wing that needed amputation. Also high possiblility of rabies so antibiotics were needed. I could not help him but the doc euthanised him so the poor thing didnt suffer longer... I asked about LIPU but apparently his condition was so grave that LIPU would euthanize him straight away as well.. It's been 3 days and it still makes me cry but I feel better knowing that he isn't in agony anymore...I hope this info will help someone. Thank you for helping them!

Oh and guys, I saw him briefly passing on the crossroads but thought it was heathly just not moving so I went ahead and hurried coz I was late. Had I looked closer I would noticed his bare skull and could action it earlier and save him 5hours of pain.. I feel very guilty! Next time I will not hesitate, no matter my plans! Please be better than me and don't hesitate 😔
See less See more
Thank you so much for posting this. I was searching the internet for a rescue I could take an injured pigeon to in Rome and thanks to your story I didn't spend long looking. LIPU took him in, looked at him immediately. Hopefully he will heal and fly again. Very best wishes.
Hey guys,

I came across this forum while I was looking for an Animal Rescue Centre in Rome Italy. I can't say I'm specifically a pigeon person but I am an animal and especially bird person.

I'm from Australia and am currently on holidays (honeymoon) in Rome and while i was visiting the baths of Caracalla (ancient roman ruins) the other day I saw a baby pigeon (too young to be out of the nest) on the ground being torn at by a hooded crow. I chased the crow off and I definitely didn't go into an out of bounds area to snatch up the little chick. When I had him i saw his beak and eye were all bloody and he couldn't walk on his right foot.

I was pretty upset and fearing the worst, so my wife and I packed him up into her backpack, and I slung it up baby bjorn style and we hurried out of the ruins in search of the nearest vet. It took us awhile to get there and in the end they couldn't help us but gave us the address and phone number of an organisation called LIPU.

We phoned but LIPU was shut at the time and so the pigeon had to come back to the hotel with us. We stopped at a supermarket on the way back to get a box and we put some tissues in to make him comfy. I cleaned up his eye and beak as best i could and we tried to make him comfortable but i didn't really expect him to make the night.

He was however still with us in the mourning and he was even looking a little bit better. His eye was gummed up with blood again but after I gently wiped that away he could finally open it up. I moved him out of his box to change the tissues and he even hobbled around a bit so I was hopeful his leg was only injured and not broken.

We packed him back up and ran him over to the animal shelter in a cab. They looked him over, felt his leg and listened to our story. They said it didn't seem as though any lasting damage had been done and that they would look after him until he was old enough to release.

I can't say how grateful we are to them for the work that they do. I wasn't sure we would find anyone to look after the little pigeon and when I first held him in my hands and looked at his bloodied face I thought the best that I might be able to do for him was find him a place to pass peacefully.

So the point of my post was really to just share the details of this organisation in case of the unlikely event someone else ends up in a similar situation. Also to give a bit of praise to a not for profit organisation doing some great work. Oh and maybe just to share a little bit of a lesson, that sometimes even when things seem like they won't work out they will so it's always worth trying and doing the best you can (a bit cliche i know).

Details then:
LIPU (Not for profit organisation)
Address: 2 Via Ulisse Aldrovandi, Rome, Italy
Phone: 06 320 1912
Website: Lipu, Lega italiana protezione uccelli - Lipu Onlus

Ending on a sad note today we found two pigeons near the Colosseum tangled together flapping and tumbling. The string which had been wrapped around ones legs had become wrapped around the others neck. I grabbed them as carefully as I could and between myself, my wife and two other kindly tourists we managed to sever the string between the two with a set of keys. Sadly the one with the string around its neck didn't survive.
When they were apart we could see that the surviving pigeons legs were tightly bound in string which we couldn't untangle.

So another pigeon in the bag, this time for a trip to the closest chemist (LIPU was already shut for the day). We purchased a pair of small scissors before heading back to the Colosseum to remove the string. It was a tightly tangled mess but it didn't seem to have cut into the skin. My wife and I got it all off in the end but it wasn't that we released the pigeon and it stumbled on one its legs that I realized it had injured itself in the tussle. It was off before I could grab it however. Not a happy day for me.

Anyway that's it, didn't mean to take up too much of your time, keep caring about and looking after wildlife guys.
Thank you thank you thank you. You’ve inspired me to help pigeons. I am in Rome currently and many pigeons are missing toes. I’d imagine it’s the same in other big cities. I want to find a way to help the ones whose feet and other body parts are are tangled in things and/or injured .

I wonder if you’ve had any luck helping other pigeons and also if you’ve had any support from friends or family? I know my family thinks I’m crazy and too obsessed with pigeons. Thank you, thank you again for doing this and sharing this. -Nicola
Thank you so much for posting this. I was searching the internet for a rescue I could take an injured pigeon to in Rome and thanks to your story I didn't spend long looking. LIPU took him in, looked at him immediately. Hopefully he will heal and fly again. Very best wishes.
How did you catch the pigeon or was it not moving?
Thank you for your post.

I just saw a pigeon with string caught around its leg at EUR Fermi train station/bus station.

I wasn’t able to catch it so I’ve emailed LIPU as they are closed and I fly out early tomorrow.

feel awful not helping but it can fly and it was impossible to catch.
1 - 8 of 8 Posts
Top