Left with no alternative, the Penang Island City Council has embarked on an aggressive drive to reduce the pigeon population in the state.
The initiative is showing promising results, as the pigeon population is decreasing.
Through increased pigeon-trapping efforts conducted four times a week, the programme has borne fruit.
Penang, a renowned tourist destination, could eventually face challenges to its tourism sector due to the swarming of pigeons.
So it is crucial to nip this infectious problem in the bud now before it affects the state’s economy.
In a strategic move, the city council is using its 500-plus public CCTV cameras to identify hotspots where people like to feed the birds. Council workers then set traps at these locations.
Popular spots where pigeons flock include the area adjacent to the Goddess of Mercy Temple and the Kapitan Keling Mosque, as pigeons have learnt that worshipers feed them at these places.
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The council’s multi-pronged approach includes using cast nets and remote-controlled cage traps. It also imposes a RM250 fine on people feeding pigeons.
The city council’s explicit stance on penalising anyone caught littering the streets with food for pigeons is commendable. This is especially so given the health hazards and harmful effects caused by these birds.
In one concerning case, a small-time retailer in Penang had to temporarily halt her trade in 2021 after her five-year-old son contracted psittacosis, a disease mainly associated with pigeon droppings. The child had to be rushed to hospital after developing a high fever and cough and was diagnosed with inflammation of the brain. The situation forced the retailer to stop working for nearly a month to look after her son.
Pigeons, also known as “sky rats”, bring heightened dangers of fungal, bacterial infections and may cause breathing difficulties. Some people resort to holding their breath when pigeons come near them.
Like rodents, pigeons create multiple problems: they shed parasites through their feathers and droppings and build nests almost anywhere, messing up buildings, statues, eaves, signs and bridges.
Breathing dust or water droplets containing contaminated bird droppings could result in diseases such as psittacosis.
Several residents in Bangsar Park in Kuala Lumpur routinely throw food before sunrise, unaware of the problems they are causing to their fellow residents and neighbours. For instance, some years ago, my elderly neighbour used to throw food just outside her gate for the pigeons. I had to face the unpleasant effects of her insensitive actions. Pigeons would flock to the front of her gate for their daily feast, perching on my gate and car, leaving droppings I had to clean. This continued even after I had told her politely to stop the feeding of the pigeons – but my advice fell on deaf ears.
In many parts of Kuala Lumpur, I have observed inconsiderate people throwing leftover food on the road for pigeons. These people think they are being compassionate, humane and animal-friendly. Some feed pigeons for cultural and perhaps religious reasons, believing they will get divine blessings for this perceived good deed.
Indeed, many remain unaware of the adverse consequences of their ill-conceived and harmful actions on their fellow members of society.
Penang has now shown the way, and other local authorities across the country should emulate the state’s tough stand on this scourge.
The time has come for local authorities nationwide to follow Penang’s example. Only a concerted effort between the local authorities and people can solve this pressing issue.
Like the Penang Island City Council, Kuala Lumpur City Hall should erect signboards warning the public against feeding pigeons, especially in places like Pasar Seni, Lucky Gardens and Bangsar Park in KL.
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
Imagine the karma deficit if one feeds hundreds of pigeons but causes the death of an innocent child!
How about crows issue in Penang? Lots of areas also having crows problem that is still unsolved since many years.
Our Bukit OUG Condominiums JMB brought pigeon feeding down drastically with education, warnings and fines.
Thank you for making efforts to trap pigeons and imposing fines to those who feed them.
Singapore has tried feeding pigeons with bird seed laced with contraceptives to control its population and the method has proven to work.
Perhaps Penang might want to adopt this method.
In nature species tend to specialise in exploiting the behaviour/biology of other species to feed. This division of labour shapes the ecology of a place.
Pigeons, rats, cockroaches, dogs and cats have discovered that they can exploit human behaviour so they follow us. They bring all the species that specialise in them along, giving them the chance to specialise in humans too. This is how nature works. If you don’t want the pidgeons, rats and cockroaches then you have to change your behaviour, otherwise you cannot complain that they have come to visit because you invited them.
From this point of view, a fine is a sensible approach, if it comes with a way to redirect behaviour. Otherwise it is cruel to punish people for being human.