Mike Tyson to Star in Reality Show on Pigeon-Racing, A Sport Linked to Raptor Deaths


Racing pigeon ear Barkby, Leicestershire. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson’s cameo in The Hangover was pretty funny, but People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals isn’t laughing about his new small-screen project. The cable network Animal Planet has purchased a TV series in which Tyson will wade into the competitive world of pigeon racing.

The program, Taking on Tyson, will begin filming this spring in New York City and is slated to debut in early 2011.

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Animal Planet says the show "peels back new layers of the remarkable persona and deep humanity of Mike Tyson," and Animal Planet's general manager Marjorie Kaplan says that "Tyson's passion for his pigeons takes my breath away."

PETA finds its own reasons to gasp: "Animal Planet needs more programs in which people go to bat for animals, like Whale Wars and Animal Cops, and fewer showcasing cruelty and profiteering at the animals' expense." PETA President Ingrid Newkirk says of Tyson's breathtaking passion for his pigeons: "One wonders if Mike Tyson realizes that ..... these gentle, loyal birds who race their hearts out trying to get home to their life mates often end up lost in storms, or coming home just have their necks wrung for failure to beat their competitor's time."

Pigeons aren’t the only avian species the activity puts at risk—raptors can be harmed, too. Audubon’s Ted Williams touched on racing pigeons in a 2008 story, “Fowl Play,” in which he examined federal wildlife officers cracking down on hobbyists who kill raptors that prey on the pigeons they raise. He focused mainly on “roller”

“Roller pigeons,” popularized in Birmingham, England, are bred for a genetic, seizure-like disorder that, in flight, causes them to simultaneously and uncontrollably throw up their wings, cock back their heads, and flip backward, somersaulting repeatedly for hundreds of feet, not always recovering before union with terra firma converts them to carrion. Regulated by the National Birmingham Roller Club (NBRC), the oldest and largest organization promoting the hobby, local clubs throughout the United States compete to see whose birds tumble best.

But, Williams notes, during competition the birds are often picked off by peregrine falcons, red-tailed hawks, Cooper’s hawks, and other raptors:

When their pigeons start doing their thing, birds of prey see them for exactly what they are—genetic invalids ripe for plucking. As Tony Chavarria, owner and publisher of the Birmingham Roller Pigeon Discussion Board (roller-pigeon.com), perceptively notes, “Many fanciers have been forced to leave the hobby/sport due to incessant attacks by these birds of prey which seem to focus on these roller pigeons as a primary food source (especially in the cities).” Solution: Make the world safer for rollers by continuously killing raptors as they gravitate to roller lofts from all compass points, like stars to black holes.

Experts estimate that roller members in L.A. alone kill 1,250 hawks a year.

Tyson has been a fan of roller pigeons since at least 2005, when he told USA Today, "This is my next love, after my kids. They're very soothing.” (Note: Tyson hasn’t been tied to any raptor deaths.)

Birds of prey have also fallen victim to pigeon racers, but there are few convictions, Williams writes. “Racing-pigeon clubs are tough to work undercover because there’s little interaction between members; the birds are just released at some distant location and their return times punched in. Rollers, on the other hand, orbit the member’s property, and competitions progress from house to house, with much socializing at each.”

To find out what you can do, click here and scroll to the bottom of William’s story.

On a brighter note, another new Animal Planet series will focus on dolphin conservation. The show, “Dolphin Warriors,” is picking up where the Oscar-winning documentary “The Cove” left off, investigating Japan’s controversial dolphin trade. The L.A. Times reports that the show may premiere in the fall, after “The Cove” runs on the channel this summer.

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Tyson has a fascinating

Tyson has a fascinating story that is told movingly in the recent "Tyson" documentary. He raised pigeons as a boy and fought to protect them. It sounds crazy, but when you hear Tyson tenderness explain his love of birds in the film, it is also endearing. The film does not aspire to objectivity, Tyson simply tell their story in their own words in a surprisingly purehomoeopathy eloquent.

So, Peta would rather that

So, Peta would rather that all pigeons be killed? or some be pampered like these?
Now, if they were fighting to the death that would be something else –but racing?
Isn’t there horseracing in New York?

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This is so crazy to think

This is so crazy to think about. Mike Tyson should not be on any reality show. He is a person that you do not want on TV. I am not sure what they are thinking about here. student violin

The cable network Animal

The cable network Animal Planet has purchased a TV series in which Tyson will wade into the competitive world of pigeon racing.

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Birds of prey have also

Birds of prey have also fallen victim to pigeon racers, but there are few convictions, Williams writes.
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wow can honestly i learned a lot from this post.i had no clue there was such a sport..i wonder how tyson got involved
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racing pigeon, this is a

racing pigeon, this is a important matter for discussion, It is totally wrong. Animal planet must do some thing about it. The information will never be enough to handle the unexpected issues. You should make greater effort to be able to handle that. thanks for HTML background color

Pigeon Run

Mike Tyson has gotten himself into all sorts of things, but Pigeon Racing? What kind of mess did he get himself into this time. I looks like he is always looking for trouble.

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Animal Planet is a good one. During competition the birds are often picked off by peregrine falcons, aren;t they?

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Pigeons aren’t the only avian species the activity puts at risk—raptors can be harmed, too. Thanks for nice info.

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I just love Pigeons.. I used

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Wow thats crazy, Mike Tyson pigeons...what!

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Mike Tyson with Dana White at UFC

Mike Tyson is definitely a legend in the boxing sport. If you are a fan of him like me check out his recent interview with Dana White at UFC. The full video is on this mma video blog, enjoy!

Mike Tyson

Hmmm.... Mike Tyson to Star in Reality Show on Pigeon-Racing, A Sport Linked to Raptor Deaths. An informative and non-biased introduction there, thanks guys. I feel like I don't even have to read the remainder of the article.

Regards,

Ian

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Great post, I really like Mike. He is one of the most notorious boxers in prizefighting history.
Thanks to his actions both inside the ring and out. His speed, angry and power aggression earned him the WBC heavyweight title in 1986, making him the youngest champion ever. Great Mike!

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Very very pleased to see

Very very pleased to see those great words for the famous one, Mike Tyson.

"This is my next love, after my kids. They're very soothing.” Thanks!

Every Passion is not a good

Every Passion is not a good passion specially if we hurt others.Most probably some time passionate people hurt life of their fellow citizens due to their ignorant passion.

Tyson is crazy

Mike Tyson is one wild and crazy man. I would imagine its pretty hard to find work these days with that huge tat on the side of his face. What was he thinking when he did that to himself. I really don't see how racing pigeons is cruel to animals. I don't think people get undone about horse racing.

Mike Tyson to Star in Reality Show on Pigeon-Racing, A Sport Lin

Very pleased to see those great words for the famous one, Mike Tyson.

"This is my next love, after my kids. They're very soothing.”

Poor little Creature

I don't feel it well about this show. Why is Mike Tyson upto such TV series, is it that he has nothing to do? He should have contributed his stardom to some good cause. This is really frustrating to me. Such shows should be discouraged at any cost. What is PETA doing about this? I feel bad about those poor birds. I don't call this a sport, dragging poor birds into racing and trying to earn from it, is definitely not a sport.

Mike Tyson to Star in

Mike Tyson to Star in Reality Show on Pigeon-Racing, A Sport Linked to Raptor Deaths

An informative and non-biased introduction there, thanks guys. I feel like I don't even have to read the remainder of the article.

Why are you listening to PeTA?

Why is the Audubon Society, a conservation group that I have always respected and supported, following the lead of the wingnuts at PeTA, an organization that consistently opposes the values and efforts of environmentalists and conservationists?

I'm not thrilled with a lot of Animal Planet's programming choices, and this is a particularly awful one. But not for the reasons that the PeTANs have predictably invented.

I thought Ted Williams' article on the roller clubs was well done; trying to link that story to racing homers -- who are clearly not genetic invalids -- is an unsupportable stretch.

I hope this entry simply represents lazy and complacent blogging, rather than a shift of the Audubon society from supportable and scientific environmental advocacy and conservation work to the loopy death-worshipping ideology of Ingrid Newkirk and her kitten-killing ilk.

Tyson/Racing Pigeons

I have had all types of pigeons for 50 years and periodically do race them.

I believe what PETA represents is great however "some" extremists in the group and possibly their leader border on the ridiculous and lump everyone participating in a hobby or sport into the bad apple bunch because of a few.

It is like saying all politicians are bad because of some OR all PETA members border on the lunatic fringe because of a few who usually do the talking and give that appearance.

I guess the racing pigeons that served in WW II like the war dogs were abused because racing pigeon fanciers donated them to the war cause to be used to carry messages and "race" from one mobile loft to another to deliver messages that saved many a soldiers life. Or the racing pigeons that are used to carry medical lab samples for testing by some businesses in Europe because they (pigeons) don't have to deal with the traffic.

I can't speak for the pigeons any more than PETA can so how do they know the pigeons don't enjoy athletic competition just like humans. They have no jockey on their back therefore no one is beating them to fly home. They decide that. Instinct drives certain birds to migrate. I guess GOD decided to abuse some species and not others. I don't think so.

Mike, if you are out there, I grew up in Hudson, NY just across the river from Catskill where you grew up. I hung out at Mike's (grill) in Catskill.

Keep slugging away Mike, your doing a great thing.

J. L.

A study done in our area

A study done in our area showed that the lifespan of wild pigeons was 2-3 years. Racing pigeons don't reach their prime until about five years. Ihad one die over the winter at a ripe old age of 16.

Racing Pigeons

This makes me mad. I am a member of a racing pigeon club. My pigeons are much better taken care of than any wild bird. They are disease free. They love to race, its in their blood. The stated fact that pigeon racers don't socialize is BS. Everybody tries to help other memers out. Some of my best friends are my fellow racers. Before you publish an article like this, maybe you ought to do more research, idiots.

telling?

I find it funny that part you took offense at had to do with pigeon racers socializing and not at the fact that these groups they actively promote killing hawks and violating migratory bird laws.

Is that why you remain anonymous?

I can relate to your stand

I can relate to your stand on this issue buddy. I am also an animal rights activist and they should stop pigeon races and any other races that exploit animals.

YEAH,

And why is a pigeon racer on a website dedicated to educating humans to be better stewards of the creatures we've been given.

AGREED.

Exactly... We do what we are given.

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Pigeon clubs a nuisance

PETA's complaints are, per usual, completely ridiculous and useless anthropomorphizing, but Pigeon Clubs are a nuisance to any one who cares about wild birds.

The fact that Animal Planet is giving voice to groups that aid, abet, and actively hide hawk-killers is disturbing enough. Until they start turning in their law-breaking colleagues, all pigeon clubs are complicit and will be tarred with the same brush and that includes Tyson.