BOULDER, Colo., March 20 (UPI) -- Boulder, Colo., police gave two University of Colorado students citations for animal cruelty for beating a pigeon to death with a broom.
Witnesses called police Friday to alert them to two men beating a pigeon on the balcony of an apartment building, describing the men as "joyful" and "excited," the Boulder Daily Camera reported Monday.
"They described the scene as if they were watching an MMA (mixed martial arts) fight on TV," the police report said.
The residents of the apartment, Matt Nabhan, 21, and David Hankin, 20, admitted killing the bird but said it was because they had a pigeon infestation the apartment manager never dealt with. The two said they considered it no different than killing a rat, the report said.
Boulder Municipal Code says it is illegal to injure or capture any wild bird, even a pigeon, without a permit to handle a verified health or safety hazard, the Daily Camera said.
