Vancouver Police Tweet Photo of Pigeon Nest to Draw Attention to Opioid Crisis

Vancouver police hope a jarring photo of three pigeon eggs nestled on a bed of used needles in a dirty sink in the city’s Downtown Eastside will draw more attention to the opioid crisis that has claimed hundreds of lives there.

“Pigeons spotted making a nest out of needles in a DTES [single room occupancy room],” Vancouver Police Superintendent Michelle Davey wrote in the caption of her tweet published on Wednesday afternoon. “Sad reality of the #opioidcrisis … #notstaged.”

Vancouver has been ground zero for the opioid overdose crisis for years, and the province of British Columbia declared a public health emergency over the matter in 2016, which saw nearly 1,000 opioid-related overdose deaths. So far this year the city has seen more than 126 overdose deaths, a significant spike from years prior.