Cavity-Searching 10,000 Pigeons

And you thought your job sucked? How would you like to be on the Chinese “security” team that got forced to inspect the anuses of 10,000 pigeons?

About 10,000 pigeons released in a ceremony for China’s National Day underwent unusual scrutiny, each having its feathers and anus checked for dangerous materials, state-run media has said, reflecting government concerns over possible attacks.
The symbols of peace were released at sunrise on Wednesday in Beijing’s symbolic heart of Tiananmen Square in a ceremony for the October 1 holiday to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
Beijing domestic security police officer, Guo Chunwei, was quoted in the Jinghua Times as saying workers checked the wings, legs and anus of each pigeon ahead of time to ensure they were “not carrying suspicious material”.

Life in a paranoid police state, it’s hard on pigeons and other living things.