A BABY pigeon was discovered dumped outside of the Scottish SPCA centre in Ayr last week.

The nestling was left in a plastic bag on top of a donation bin in direct sunlight, before thankfully being spotted by staff members on Monday, June 15.

The SSPCA is urging the public to follow the correct procedures for reporting injured, sick or abandoned wildlife after the discovery outside of its Ayrshire Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre.

Scotland’s animal welfare charity recently launched its #WildlifeWise campaign to educate the public on when they should contact them about young wildlife. The aim of the campaign is to not create orphans unnecessarily.

Assistant manager of the Ayrshire centre, Lynda Hourston, said: “While we appreciate the person who left the nestling probably had good intentions, this was very dangerous for the young bird.

“If the pigeon had fallen from the top of the donation bin it could have been injured – or the next person that came along could have put something heavy on top of it.

“At the moment our gates are locked to prevent public access due to lockdown restrictions. Rarely do we venture outside until we finish at 5pm.

“The bird could potentially have sat there until then in the bag in the sunshine with no access to food or water.

“Thankfully we found the pigeon and it would appear no lasting harm has been done but the outcome could have been very different.

“We have no background information about where the nestling has come from or why it was separated from its parents because whoever found this bird did not call to report it.”

Lynda added: “We would ask that members of the public

follow the proper procedure and call our animal helpline if they find an injured or abandoned animal.”

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