People thought this woman enjoyed catching pigeons and shoving them into a sock — until she lifted one’s foot to reveal her life-saving act

A woman was seen catching pigeons and shoving them into a sock on the city streets. Her stunt was a life-saving feat in disguise as she revealed a common problem that occurs in urban-dwelling pigeons. TikTok creator Frill (@frill_underscore) is on a mission to save pigeons and shared why she puts them in “sock jail” in a viral snippet reshared by The Dodo (@thedodo) on social media. The reason for her gesture became clear when she lifted one pigeon’s foot, demonstrating her heartwarming care for the birds.

In the video with 474,200 views, Frill walked up to a flock of pigeons and caught hold of one. She clutched it between her palms before slipping a snipped sock over the bird to prevent it from flying away. “If you look at it from a distance, it looks like I’m just hanging out with pigeons,” she said. However, the creator explained that she is there to help them, though it may not seem like it. She shed light on a recurring problem in pigeons called stringfoot, where their feet get tangled with hair strands and string. “It tightens, and it can cut the circulation off to their toes or their entire foot,” Frill explained. 

The first step in her pigeon-saving process is to put them in the "sock jail". It keeps the bird stable while she carefully cuts off the tangled strings on its claws. After a few moments, the pigeon is set free with a fresh pair of claws to perch on. Frill hopes that her efforts and videos can encourage people to protect these birds and shift the “public perception” of the “overlooked” birds. “They’re not dirty. They’re really lovely and they're really kind,” she noted. The post was liked by 80,000 people, while many others cheered her on in the comments. @123geckolove shared, “Remember, pigeons are feral, not wild. We domesticated them, abandoned them, and they deserve love and care, too.” 

“She inspired me to start feeding my local feral pigeons and get a pet pigeon of my own. They’re amazing birds!” wrote @cloudgorl. “My goodness! I’ve seen this a few times in pigeons, and I didn’t think to help, but you, my dear, are a wonderful person,” marked @jenniferhayden1390 and @kev44508 revealed, “I actually now pick up street string to reduce this. I had no idea before.”

According to the Greenwich Wildlife Network, feral pigeons are one of the most misunderstood animals on the planet. Most people in cities perceive these birds as “rats with wings” or disease-carriers and tend to avoid any contact with them, let alone offer help. 

The pest control industry is also to blame, as it profits from various methods of pigeon deterrence. The primary reason is the fear of animal-to-human disease transmission. All animals, wild and domestic, can transmit serious illnesses, though dogs and horses are rarely neglected like pigeons. Bird pet owners are at the highest risk of being affected by these diseases, as are those who consume chicken bred in crammed and unhygienic poultry spaces. 

You can follow @thedodo and @frill_underscore on TikTok for more videos.