The municipal council of the German town of Limburg has approved the mass culling of pigeons to regulate their population. The method used, which involves snapping the pigeons’ necks, has sparked outrage among animal rights activists, who describe the decision as “mass murder.”
On November 13, Limburg city councilors approved a measure aimed at significantly reducing the city’s pigeon population. The decision had received the prior approval of the Limburg Environmental Committee.
Limburg an der Lahn, a German town of little more than 30,000 people near Frankfurt, faces pigeon overcrowding. More than 700 pigeons were counted recently. The municipality wants to take a hard line, regulating the number of pigeons by breaking their necks.
Animal rights activists gathered in front of the town hall to express their dissatisfaction with the pigeon cull. Injunctions such as “Bands of murderers,” or “You’ve got blood on your hands” rang out against the town councilors following the vote on the decision.
The protest movement gained importance and spread throughout the country. Councillors received calls from all over Germany, expressing their disagreement and looking for alternatives. Some calls even took a threatening turn, going as far as death threats.
Regulate the pigeon population by breaking their necks?
“According to the majority, the pigeon population in Limburg is so high that it is urgent to take measures to protect people and buildings,” the city said in a statement.
During the debates, only Green-affiliated councilors voiced their opposition and tried to see a compromise in regulating the pigeon population through birth control.
The proposal has yet to be validated by the magistrate. A legal review is also planned to check that the proposal does not contradict existing laws.
The city’s environmental committee, tasked with finding a solution to pigeon overpopulation, consulted hunter Berthold Geis. Berthold Geis is nationally recognized and has already received judicial approval to implement his pigeon culling system for other municipalities in Germany.
The pigeons would be lured into a trap, where they would then be stunned by a blow to the head. They will be finally killed by breaking their necks. Once the pigeon population was significantly reduced, they would use less brutal methods such as birth control. Mr. Geis has volunteered to cull pigeons if the decision is approved by the magistrates.
This project would cost Limburg town council 20,000 euros (22,000 dollars), compared with the 90,000 euros (98,000 dollars) needed for the birth control recommended by the Greens.
The decision has triggered strong reactions among animal protection associations such as the Federal Association for the Protection of Animal Rights. They have threatened the municipality to file a complaint asserting that the decision violates animal protection law.
