Oak Park officials have abandoned a plan to kill a flock of pesky pigeons gathering around the city's downtown shopping area.
At a village board meeting Monday night, President David Pope said netting would be used to prevent the birds from gathering under the Marion Street viaduct, near the downtown shopping area.
The municipality had considered using lethal gas to kill the birds.
Officials said the pigeons not only cause an appearance problem, but they also are a health problem as pigeon droppings can carry disease.
At Monday's meeting, six people commented called the idea to euthanize the birds "barbaric" and "cruel," the Chicago Tribune reported.
