That was one soggy pigeon. I think it would have completely drowned before my family and I had noticed it was in any sort of distress. To us, who more affectionally refer to pigeons as 'filthy winged rats', it seemed perfectly normal that this feathered chap was enjoying a splash in the sea.
It was a sunny, choppy afternoon on Dubrovnik's waterfront, and we sat sipping our beverages, watching the world amble by. This was when two Indian dudes caught our attention. One was leaning in to the sea off the harbour wall, while his friend held his legs. At first I presumed this may have been an attempt at an avant-garde Instagram pose, but we quickly realized he was actually trying to rescue this drowning pigeon, who had somehow landed in the water and was frantically flapping and splashing. Our acrobatic Indian friend had caught on before us that apparently pigeon's can't swim. He hadn't caught the bird yet though.
We, alongside most of the audience sat at the café terrace, watched, gaping, enthralled by this struggling rescue mission. At first he couldn't reach, then the pigeon wouldn't respond after the waves had thoroughly pounded him. It was quite the epic action saga. It took at least a thrilling five minutes and one of the men throwing his sweater into the sea as a life raft, to rescue the now traumatized winged fellow. They popped him on a nearby wall and wandered off as if nothing spectacular had taken place, as it sat shivering, with fright, or cold, probably both.
A few moments later, what I think was an Italian lady stumbled upon the miserable creature, quite unaware of the drama which had preceded her arrival. She quickly took it upon herself to sacrifice her sweater too, as she wrapped him up like a baby, and proceeded to construct a little nest from olive branches for him.
Carrying on her way, looking satisfied at another life spared, she bumped into the two Indian guys from earlier, both parties oblivious to the fact they were the fellow heroic saviours of this one soggy pigeon.
That was certainly an entertaining half hour or so, and more than enough to slightly restore my faith in humanity. I think we must be the only species to go to so much trouble to save another, completely unaware, helpless creature, which most other predatory mammals would be overjoyed to eat. I must admit, even after all that, pigeon is rather tasty in a stew.
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