Pigeons as live bait in the Innviertel

An attentive hiker discovered a trap in the sand valley that puzzled him: a live pigeon was caught in it. He informed the animal rights activists from the Respect Animals association, who traveled from Salzburg to the Braunau district to take a look at the conditions on site. “We found everything as the man described it to us. We assume it was a hawk trap. And we even discovered a second trap. A larger one that works on the same principle and is aimed at four-legged animals, foxes and maggots, too Two pigeons were trapped there,” says Tom Putzgruber from the Respect Animals Association.

No investigations

The animal rights activists immediately informed the police and reported the incident to the responsible authorities in Braunau. However, there is no investigation, as public prosecutor Alois Ebner said in response to an OÖN request. The defendant stated that he had set the traps because of a rat infestation. The pigeons flew into the trap on their own. Because the police investigation can no longer determine whether the pigeons were caged or really flew into the trap on their own, there will be no investigation. There is no initial suspicion of animal cruelty, says Ebner. “The pigeons were not harmed, they were released and the traps were removed,” said the prosecutor.

“The trap was discovered in the middle of a meadow next to a sidewalk. Nothing was marked. If a child had discovered this trap, they could have been seriously injured, especially since the mechanism has to snap shut quickly so that the bird of prey can be caught,” emphasized Putzgruber. Putzgruber is happy that the traps have now been removed. He thanks the police for their quick intervention.

Putzgruber appeals to people in such cases to either call the police themselves or inform animal protection organizations. “We are happy when we are made aware of animal suffering so that we can combat it as best we can,” he says.