Geographically challenged homing pigeon ended up at police station eating popcorn

A New Hampshire police station sheltered, then released a confused homing pigeon that got lost during a race. The bird was kept in the captain’s office at Epping Police Department overnight after he was found lurking in the parking lot on Monday. But after learning some valuable information and getting advice on how to handle him, police let him spread his wings and go. No charges were filed.

That’s because it turned out to just be a case of a missing pigeon. “It’s a little bit crazy. I don’t know what to think. I guess we are rescuing pigeons at the Epping Police Department,” Officer Stephen Soares said. The chief and captain rolled up to the bird in their back parking lot at around noon Monday. The pigeon’s actions were suspicious, but he clearly was not a flight risk. “(They) got out to check on it, and it still didn’t go anywhere,” Soares said.
“They ended up picking the bird up and bringing it to the station.” The pigeon is a registered racing pigeon and the police were able to track him to a man in Massachusetts who had released 30 birds in Charlestown, N.Y., on Saturday. This one, who is only 4 months old, got lost during his 130-mile journey. “Usually that’s all they are is tired and stressed, so usually if someone feeds and waters them, and releases them, they usually come home the next day,” said Jerry Gaumond, the bird’s owner.

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“So the chief and the captain put together a box, punched holes in it, fed it popcorn and water, and then let it go,” Soares said. The pigeon left with a message attached to its leg saying, “I left the Epping Police Department at 8:40am on 9/30/14.” The owner said it was a story he and his friends won’t soon forget. “They were like, of all places to show up – a police station. He must be pretty smart,” Gaumond said.