LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Hat-wearing pigeons have been spotted again in Las Vegas and this time, the pigeons are being used to make a political statement.
Pigeons were previously spotted in the Las Vegas valley wearing tiny cowboy hats and in Reno wearing tiny sombreros. The persons responsible for the previous incidents have never been located.
The latest hat-wearing pigeons were released in the downtown area on the eve of the Democratic presidential debate on the Las Vegas Strip.
This time, the pigeons were wearing Make America Great Again or MAGA hats and they were released by a self-proclaimed "underground radical group" named P.U.T.I.N. (Pigeons, United To Interfere Now).
The founder of the group, who goes by the alias of Coo Hand Luke, says that the release was done as an "areal protest piece in response to the arrival of the 2020 Democratic Debate."
The debate took place Wednesday night at the Paris hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip.
The group says they were inspired by the 1970's Cold War Operation "Tacana," in which the CIA explored the use of pigeons equipped with tiny cameras to spy on Soviet sites of interest.
One of the pigeons also sported a small, orange hairpiece similar to President Trump's hair.
Coo Hand Luke said via email that the release of the pigeons is a gesture of support and loyalty to President Trump.
Pigeons are considered to be an introduced, feral and domestic species or vertebrate pests and are not considered "wildlife." Therefore, they are not federally protected like migratory birds.
Feeding pigeons can even result in a $1,000 fine or 6 months behind bars in the city of Las Vegas (Henderson and Clark County have similar laws). Additionally, Henderson (for example) provides specific guidelines to homeowners on how to get rid of pigeons humanely.
Even so, many people consider the act of gluing hats to the heads of pigeons as an act of cruelty.
Photos and video provided by P.U.T.I.N.
