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Limburg's pigeons saved from death: permission refused!
Limburg did not receive permission to kill 200 pigeons. Animal rights activists and nature conservation authorities contradict the plans.
Limburg's pigeons saved from death: permission refused!
In Limburg, a project that was approved by the city council in November 2023 caused heated discussions: the killing of 200 city pigeons was intended to reduce the population of the birds, which are often referred to as “rats of the sky”. But the Lower Nature Conservation Authority of the Limburg-Weilburg district has now finally refused approval for this measure. How hessenschau.de reported, the city failed to meet the necessary requirements for an exemption under the Federal Species Protection Ordinance.
A referendum in June 2024 was in favor of the killing measure, but the city of Limburg is now forced to let the pigeons live. The district determined that the pigeons fall under the protection of the Federal Species Protection Ordinance and that measures may only be taken in the event of “significant damage to the public sector”. The city has not sufficiently proven such a risk.
Unclear legal situation
The original plan was to start catching and killing the pigeons on April 22, 2025. A service provider for the implementation had already been selected. But the authority's decision to reclassify the pigeons as wild animals resulted in the contract being canceled. The Hessian Ministry of the Environment and Agriculture had also repealed a decree from 2022 that did not place city pigeons in populated areas under wild animal protection. The city criticized this decision as surprising and unfounded, but stuck to its plan and applied to the responsible authority for a permit to capture and kill the pigeons - without success.
The debate about city pigeons is not new. Many animal rights activists had vehemently spoken out against the planned killing method, which was aimed at breaking the neck. Critics argue that the pigeons' situation is not the same as pests. The legal status of city pigeons is also complex: According to a statement from the Federal Institute for Consumer Health Protection and Veterinary Medicine, the classification of city pigeons as health pests only applies if there is a specific risk, which is apparently not the case in Limburg.
Public support and resistance
Although a majority in the referendum supported the killing measure, the public discussion about how to deal with city pigeons remains tense. The question is repeatedly raised as to how the pigeon population and potential health risks should be dealt with. Strict regulations are required, particularly in areas where the birds could affect food or hygienically sensitive places.
The Limburg decision highlights the challenges cities face in managing wildlife populations. The problem is also being discussed in other federal states, where feral domestic pigeons are sometimes classified as health pests. In Limburg, the fate of the city pigeons remains open for now - they are allowed to continue to live while the city has to look for alternatives.
The questions about animal welfare-friendly treatment and alternative measures to reduce the pigeon population will certainly continue to shape the discussions. A sustainable solution approach is required that takes both animal welfare and public health and safety into account.