Dump truck driver suspected of pigeon slaughter in Yamagata

Thursday 21st May, 09:34 AM JST

YAMAGATA —

POlice on Wednesday arrested a dump truck driver for animal abuse and illegal disposal after the bodies of over 100 pigeons was discovered thrown away.

The suspect was identified as Makoto Watanabe, 53, a resident of Sagae City. Police said he had kept over 2,300 pigeons at his home as pets. Watanabe was quoted by police as saying that he slaughtered the birds because he was having difficulty taking care of them.

Kyodo News Service

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Latest 15 of 19 Total Comments Show All

Molenir at 10:46 AM JST - 21st May

lol, don't see why anyone would want to keep pigeons. Flying rats.
cleo at 10:59 AM JST - 21st May

don't see why anyone would want to keep pigeons. Flying rats

Rats make fine pets.
bobcatfish at 11:33 AM JST - 21st May

so where is the abuse? killing a bird is not abuse.
cleo at 12:02 PM JST - 21st May

killing a bird is not abuse

Article 44 of the Animal Protection Law states that any person killing or injuring a protected animal without good reason is liable to up to one year imprisonment or a fine of up to one million yen.

‘Protected animals' include cattle, horses, pigs, sheep, goats, dogs, cats, domesticated rabbits, chickens, pigeons and ducks. http://www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.jp/seian/animal/animal.htm
Weasel at 12:34 PM JST - 21st May

Gawd his place must have stunk worse than hell. Guess he got tired of frying those old birds, and thought it was easier to just chuck 'em in the can instead.
Osakadaz at 01:10 PM JST - 21st May

interestingly enough,when I found a sick or injured pigeon on the steps of my apartment block,I called the police to ask what I should so with it..."Oh..we don't respond to that..just put it in the gomi" "but it is alive" "just put it in the gomi" "what if it has bird flu?" "just put it in the gomi"....obviously highly protected if not respected. Pigeons are vermin and in some cases should be culled,but 2300 is way over the top to keep as racing/carrier pigeons.
timorborder at 01:14 PM JST - 21st May

Sorry Cleo, while I don't agree with the needless slaughter of any animal, I think flying rats is a good description of your normal, everyday pigeon. One of the few birds I hate. It is just lucky that elephants don't fly.

BTW - What is somebody doing owning 2,300 birds as pets. Images come to mind of that Hitchcock movie where the birds go nuts and start attacking people. Talking about animal protection legislation, I know some places that have laws against the hording of animals, however, what about pigeons?
dennis0bauer at 03:14 PM JST - 21st May

2300 pigeons? that's a lot of bird crap to clean.
Justuju at 06:54 PM JST - 21st May

The pigeons are now recognized as pests, and not pets ... in many places. The birds have played havoc with airplanes for long now. Maybe that this Dump Trucker was an Airline pilot once and then he realized the danger that these birds pose to planes and the environment. What a sociologist fears is, however, what if he starts to have difficulties in taking care of his family next !!!!!!! Hmmm, that would be crazy stuff ....
sharky1 at 07:09 PM JST - 21st May

How do you get rid of 2,300 pigeons? 100 at a time.
bobcatfish at 07:11 PM JST - 21st May

cleo - how many dogs are put down each year in japan? and for what reason?

i think you will find all bird breeder keep the good ones and throw away the bad. it's hard to find good homes for them.
cleo at 07:45 PM JST - 21st May

how many dogs are put down each year in japan? and for what reason?

Far too many, and then some. The reason being some lowlife owners aren't fit to keep animals in the first place.

The phrasing the law uses is みだりに (midarini), which I translated as without good reason, which doesn't really do it. Alternative translations are without permission; at random; recklessly; indiscriminately. Or tomorborder's suggestion, needlessly. Somehow the culling of surplus birds slips through, don't ask me why. Fish too, though they aren't on the 'protected' list.

If he couldn't afford to look after 2300 birds he should have learned to separate the males from the females well before they got to be so many. Or maybe developed a taste for fresh pigeon-egg omelettes.
presto345 at 10:19 PM JST - 21st May

Or maybe developed a taste for fresh pigeon-egg omelettes.

Right. And I wonder why we don't eat (the) pigeons. Supposedly a delicacy, but unlike European countries we don't see pigeon in the stores. Is there some taboo?
Fadamor at 02:17 AM JST - 22nd May

Why on Earth would pigeons be a protected species? They're everywhere! They're like the herring gulls... worldwide and annoying.

Someone who keeps that many of one kind of animal is risking an epidemic sweeping through the flock. It does not seem manageable for one person to keeep so many birds.
Triumvere at 11:12 AM JST - 22nd May

They're protected so people don't torture them. Given the number of people who apparently hate the "flying rats" with a passion, this is probably a good thing.