HUMAN-MADE ANIMALS
Cats, dogs and cattle aren’t the only animals that humans have altered through domestication. Without human intervention, animals such as pigeons and goldfish wouldn’t exist. More than 400 million pigeons live around the world, and they all descend from a domestic species called the rock dove (Columba livia). These birds originated in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt and were enticed into the city as a source of food around 10,000 years ago. Throughout history, rock doves – and subsequently pigeons – have proven to be more beneficial than a quick meal thanks to their navigational skills as messenger pigeons. Naturally, captive pigeons found their way out of breeding centres and into cities, benefiting from the cliff-like buildings for their nests and bountiful sources of food. Now, in an age where pigeon pilots are no longer needed for sending messages, the world is left with a species of bird that wouldn’t have existed without humans.