A customer claims they saw a pigeon inside the Woolworths Milford supermarket put its head inside the nuts dispenser to help itself to food.
A customer claims they saw a pigeon inside the Woolworths Milford supermarket put its head inside the nuts dispenser to help itself to food.
A customer says they saw a pigeon at the nuts and seeds dispenser at an Auckland Woolworths, the latest in a string of hygiene issues plaguing supermarkets nationally.
The Milford Woolworths customer was shopping with her mother on February 1 when they saw a pigeon nibbling at food on the floor.
When they came back to the aisle containing the nuts, they say they witnessed the pigeon putting its head inside the nuts dispenser trying to force the food out.
The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, took a photo and told the Herald they believe the “genius” pigeon had been there a while as it had worked out how to dispense the nuts.
“That pigeon was there for a while. The second time we saw it picking inside the nuts. It put its head inside the hole the whole way and began to push it, knowing that the nuts would eventually come out before eating it.
“My mum thought it was disgusting, but the bird was pretty genius working out how to beat the system to reach the nuts. It knew how the dispenser worked.”
However, a Woolworths spokesperson said pigeon would not have been able to enter the dispenser.
These dispensers are designed to ensure that nothing can enter from the bottom of the chute, including pests like pigeons. We apologise for any concern that this image may have caused and assure customers that we take hygiene in store very seriously. We’d ask any customer who saw something like this to report it to our team,” the spokesperson said.
A customer claims they saw a pigeon inside a the Woolworths Milford supermarket put its head inside the nuts dispenser to help itself to food.
The customer said she had seen pigeons inside the Milford store a number of times and no longer wanted to buy nuts or seeds from the store not already packaged.
The bird was there for “a very long time” and “wasn’t scared of people”, making her think that the pigeon was familiar with its surroundings.
A Woolworths spokesperson earlier said they took pest control seriously and asked customers to let them know immediately if there is an issue with wildlife and hygiene concerns.
“Birds are a pest in food environments and while it is normal for them to attempt to enter food premises with customers, it’s our responsibility to do everything possible to keep them out and remove them when they do enter.
“We take pest control seriously and have pest management plans in place in all of our stores. We contract Rentokil as part of this management plan.
“If we need to manage birds in a particular store, we may introduce measures like netting or specialised entry flaps to help with this.
“Having safe and hygienic stores is important to us and if customers do see a bird or another pest in one of our stores, we’d ask them to let our team know immediately so they can escalate the issue.”
A pigeon spotted roosting on a shelf at Grey Lynn Woolworths, formally Countdown, in Auckland in November 2023, coming amid reports of mouse and rat infestations at the supermarket's other stores.
Pigeons roosting on shelves, rats found in stores
The incident comes after photographs were taken by customers of pigeons roosting on shelves at another Auckland Woolworths.
The shopper, who didn’t want to be named, said she had seen pigeons and other birds pecking holes in produce and clambering over food at Grey Lynn Woolworths many times, and as recently as last week.
“I mean, it’s pretty unsavoury. There are hygiene issues here. I think Countdown [Woolworths] needs a bloody stick over the knuckles, frankly.”
A pigeon spotted roosting on a shelf at Grey Lynn Woolworths, formally Countdown, in Auckland in November 2023, coming amid reports of mouse and rat infestations at the supermarket's other stores.
NZ Food Safety food compliance officers from the Ministry of Primary Industries were working with the store and helping it solve the situation following a complaint.
Pest controller Rentokil, on its website, lists several diseases and other health risks pigeons and other birds can carry, including salmonella, Escherichia coli [E.Coli], fungal infections and bird mites.
“Some of the diseases carried by pigeons and gulls could make you seriously ill. It is important to act at the first sign of a bird infestation to avoid these associated health risks,” Rentokil said.
A new rodent video has emerged on Tuesday after a customer spotted a mouse running through the Pak'nSave in Lincoln Road.
Woolworths New Zealand confirmed this photo of a rat, reflected in a mirror in the deli section, was taken at its Dunedin South Countdown supermarket, at 323 Andersons Bay Rd, in November. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
