Man charged after spray-painted pigeons put down
A MAN working on Sydney Harbour Bridge has been charged with animal cruelty after two pigeons were sprayed with paint and had to be euthanased.
The contractor was allegedly captured on CCTV last Friday entering the northern pylon of the bridge carrying a can of yellow industrial spray paint, police said.
"The man then allegedly sprayed two pigeons nesting under the bridge and left the area," police said.
"The paint did not belong to the man and he did not use it as part of his work duties.
"The birds were not discovered until Wednesday, when other workers noticed them huddling in a corner covered in yellow paint."
The distressed animals were taken to a nearby veterinarian, but had to be humanely destroyed.
Police this morning arrested a 19-year-old man from Woongarrah on NSW's Central Coast.
He was charged with aggravated animal cruelty and is due to face North Sydney Local Court on January 12.