Veterans Memorial reopens following bird ‘invasion'
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The New Mexico Veterans Memorial is back open after the city dealt with a bird invasion. The Parks and Recreation Department shuttered the memorial last month after around 50,000 European Starlings began roosting there, leaving behind a large amount of droppings.
BioPark Zoo sees Spring Break influx
The city says they used non-lethal methods to encourage the birds to relocate then cleaned the memorial, fully reopening the grounds to the public Friday. 'Starlings are a common, non-native bird around the country that can create big problems when they gather in large numbers, but it's the first time we've had anything like this in a city park,' says Dennis Vasquez, deputy director of the City of Albuquerque Parks and Recreation Department.
The department says it also took steps to prevent the birds from coming back.
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