Geldern saw a pigeon plague in the market (symbolic picture)
Photo: Boris Roessler / dpa
Market pigeons for the birds of prey: In Geldern, Lower Rhine, the decision was made to take an unusual measure because of a plague of pigeons at the weekly market.
Market feeders were allowed to catch pigeons in consultation with the city and make them available to the birds of prey sanctuary in Weeze as feed animals.
"We had a serious hygiene problem at the weekly market," said a city spokesman.
The pigeons had started to attack the food.
Even a falcon hardly helped
A pigeon house has been installed since last year in order to master the plague.
In the nesting house, pigeon eggs are replaced by dummies.
In addition, a falcon had been settled in consultation with the Naturschutzbund.
However, these measures were slow to take effect.
That is why five animals were caught once.
The pigeons caught were killed, cleaned and fed in the bird of prey station, the head of the station confirmed on Friday.
The birds of prey are dependent on food animals.
Breeders therefore constantly supplied the station with excess animals.
The "Rheinische Post" reported first.
ptz / dpa
