Vancouver’s opioid problem is only getting worse, and city police wanted to showcase just how grim it can look.
Supt. Michelle Davey posted a photo on Twitter Wednesday of what she said is pigeon eggs in a pile of needles in a single-room occupancy room in the Downtown Eastside.
“Pigeons spotted making a nest out of #needles in a #DTES SRO room,” she wrote.
“Sad reality of the #opioidcrisis.”
Vancouver police Sgt. Randy Fincham told CTV Vancouver that the photo was shared to give a "rare glimpse into the lives of first responders, health care providers, and others involved in the opioid crisis."
But while Davey maintained in her tweet that the scene was not staged, some on Twitter weren’t satisfied.
"Amazingly the 'pigeons' managed to have no droppings in the sink.:)," wrote one person.
A pigeon expert said he does not think this is a true nest.
Luc-Alain Giraldeau, dean of the Faculty of Science at the Université du Québec à Montréal, told CBC News that pigeons always only lay two eggs and that real nests are covered with feces.
"This does definitely looks like a fake," he said.
Whether the image is real or not, the city is still dealing with a massive overdose crisis. More than 100 deaths have been attributed to drugs since the start of this year, according to Global News, compared to 215 in all of last year.
Also on HuffPost
