As the city's iconic Notre-Dame Basilica prepares to undergo a major renovation, the pigeons that reside nearby are now donning feathers of vibrant shades to keep up with the times.
The colors have been painted on the pigeons by Nguyen Thi Quang Thanh, a street vendor who has been taking care of the pigeons for many years, reports Thanh Nien. Thanh was inspired by footage of the 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale, in which two European artists dyed pigeons with bright colors in St. Mark's Square.
So when Cuong, another local pigeon caretaker, got his hands on some spare food coloring during Tet this year, the pair began to give the birds a new outfit, according to Kenh14. Now, there are a few dozen pigeons flocking together in brilliant hues of cyan, pink and green.
"These birds are often cautious of strange colors, so when we first painted on a few of them, the flock did show some signs of fear," Thanh told Kenh14 in Vietnamese. "But they get used to it after a day, and we hope that they will soon overcome their fears of bold colors altogether."
The pair also made sure to not let the food coloring come into contact with the birds' skin, Thanh shared with the news source.
While the colored pigeons have attracted crowds of curious tourists, some people wonder whether this can cause harm to the pigeons.
Phi Oanh, an 80-year-old retiree, shared with Kenh14: "Personally, I don't support painting colors on the pigeon's feathers. Firstly, this will certainly affect their health, as the colorings are chemicals after all. Birds are in the habit of preening themselves, and in doing so they may be swallowing these chemicals."
Nguyen Dinh Xuan, an expert in ecology and environmental studies, concurs. "The pigeons with unnatural plumage may not be accepted by the flock," he told Phap Luat Online.
Others think that Thanh is exploiting these animals for business - she is, after all, selling bird food for VND10,000 a pack. "I have been looking after the pigeons for almost a decade now - not since yesterday," Thanh told Kenh14 in response to these concerns. "Only as the flock's number increased did I start selling bird food to tourists. I'm doing this to leave good karma for my children, not to make a business out of these birds."
[Photos via Thanh Nien]
