Residents and entrepreneurs on Derksstraat, Weerdingerstraat and Noorderplein have had enough of the pigeon nuisance. The birds poop everything underneath, Dennis de Jong said during the committee meeting in the Emmen town hall. He represents several residents and shopkeepers. They want measures from the Lefier corporation.
The residents of the streets in question say they have been suffering from this pigeon plague since last year. A group of around thirty to forty pigeons terrorizes the neighborhood at the start of the breeding season, he says. “The animals defecate everything underneath. Cars, balconies, planters; everything. When spring arrives, we want to sit outside and not spend all day scrubbing.”
Now that the breeding season is just around the corner, the worst weather is feared.
The residents have urged housing association Lefier, which manages many rental properties in the area, to take measures. “Like pigeon pinning or hiring a falconer.”
But according to De Jong, the corporation refuses to tackle cases due to animal unfriendliness.
According to him, there are already stories going around about the use of pigeon poison or chasing them away with alarm pistols. “Soon the king will come by and there will be someone with a gun like that, chasing away those birds. That doesn’t seem right to me either.”
Contact has been made with the local police officer, but he refers to Lefier. That is why the residents are now trying their luck with the municipality. Councilor Jan Bos (Wakker Emmen) agreed to discuss this with Lefier. “We’re going to see if we can do something.”
Lefier says that pigeon pins have been placed in a number of places. Furthermore, the corporation cannot do much about it, a spokesperson said. “Pigeons are part of the city center and most forms of control are quite animal unfriendly. The question is whether you should want that and whether it is our task as a housing association.”