St Albans mural aims to brighten up area and raise money for rare birds

PUBLISHED: 09:00 18 August 2018

Anne Suslak

A mural has been painted outside a tuition centre in St Albans to raise money for rare birds in the Galápagos Islands.

Bright Young Things, at 12 Ridgmont Road, organised to have the mural of blue-footed boobies and flamingoes painted across the side of the centre to raise money to protect the endangered boobies’ island home.

Woody Webster, director of the centre, said: “We had a white wall outside Bright Young Things, and we wanted to brighten the area up. We’ve had people walking in saying ‘we love your wall’.

“I designed it and got a painter to paint it. The blue booby is such a rare creature and it’s only in a really small part of the world.”

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Fears Bird Dumped Near St Albans Could Have Been Used In Illegal Cockfighting

Thursday, March 3rd, 2016 8:54am

The RSPCA is investigating after a blind and injured cockerel was dumped on a country lane near St Albans...

The discovery was made after the bird - suspected to have been used by cockfighters - was spotted wandering Colney Heath Lane on Monday.

Officials from the animal charity believe the bird had leg and wing injuries consistent with fighting - which was made illegal in 1835.

Inspector Jaime Godfrey told us: "It looks like he has been blinded from having his eyes pecked. His chest and the front of his legs are raw and sore and the top of his wings are injured, likely from being rubbed on a cage.

The injuries are indicative of cockfighting".

Inspector Mike Butcher, a member of the RSPCA's special operations unit which tackles blood sports like cockfighting, added: "This cockerel's spur had been cut off, this was probably to fit a metal spur so it could inflict maximum damage to the opponent's bird during a cockfight.

We suspect this bird was probably involved in an organised fight and was injured in the barbaric 'sport' of cockfighting which continues despite being illegal".

Anyone with information can contact the RSPCA's inspectorate appeal line on 0300 123 8018.

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