So 2020 has delivered a new animal phobia

Sure storms and fireworks still press their buttons, but a quirk of 2020 means the furry and feathered family are now scared of something surprising....

Yes, dogs, cats and even these adorable peregrine falcon chicks are increasingly afraid of planes. The almost complete lack of aircraft noise in our skies has taken away the familiarity and the ‘flooding effect’ the regular flights over our homes provide. The uncertainty as to whether the planes represent a danger leads to the ironically named ‘flight’ response where pets will try to hide in a safe place until the sound passes.

Fortunately, as air travel is likely to increase in 2021, they will become desensitised and won’t respond as strongly. In the meantime, these peregrine falcon chicks nesting in a Melbourne CBD office tower are focused on growing so they can temporarily control the skies over our cities. So Melbourne’s pigeons better stay on guard.