A Bird in the Hand Is Worth . . . Not Much

A pigeon keeper watched aghast as a cat pounced on his exhausted bird when it landed on his garden fence after winning a big race.

Patt Lees, a 55-year-old doorman, was delighted to see his prize bird fly home from France ahead of 300 other pigeons. But as he dashed to retrieve the race tag from the bird’s leg, the cat struck. By the time Lees retrieved the mutilated pigeon, two other birds had arrived home and he was robbed of his $180 prize money, only qualifying for third place.