NYC pigeon pirates ruffling feathers by netting birds, selling to gun clubs

These birds are sitting geese.

Pigeon pirates are spreading their wings on the streets of Manhattan, illegally netting the filthy squabs after which promoting them out of state to be killed for sport, animal advocates allege.

The latest pigeon pilfering happened Jan. 16, when Hell’s Kitchen residents Susan Tang and her husband, Nicholas, witnessed two males in a darkish blue Dodge Caravan with New York plates toss seeds on the bottom alongside tenth Avenue between 58th and 59th streets. The poachers netted about 50 pigeons, tossed them into the van and sped off.

“We adopted the van as a lot as we might to attempt to deal with the license plate, which was obscured by a plastic cowl of some kind,” Susan Tang instructed The Put up and famous on social media. “The driving force was conscious he was being adopted and was blowing purple lights and nearly struck a gaggle of pedestrians.”

The couple snapped a photograph of the getaway van through the 9:10 a.m. incident, notified cops and filed a grievance with 311 and the state Division of Conservation.

Animal advocates allege that the creatures are being sold out of state.
Animal advocates allege that the creatures are being offered out of state.
Getty Photos/500px

“It was over and completed with from begin to end in 20 seconds,” Tang recalled. “It was deeply disturbing. I’m a born and raised New Yorker. I really like every part about this metropolis. The pigeons are as New York Metropolis as you may probably get.”

Tang stated DEC investigators “know the suspect’s identify and deal with and situated the van full with tons of feathers and pigeon poop inside. I've instructed him that my husband and I'll testify if the case progresses.”

Whereas Tang wasn’t in a position to videotape these hen bandits, one other eagle-eyed New Yorker documented a downtown thief of his personal.

Simply eight days earlier, on Jan. 8, a pigeon pirate was caught within the act on Broome and Norfolk streets on the Decrease East Facet.

“New York or Nowhere (sure that’s an entire flock of pigeons caught in a internet being stuffed into the trunk of a automotive),” posted meals blogger Mike Chau to Instagram.

That thief additionally flew the coop.

The DEC and NYPD are actually investigating whether or not the hen bandits are a part of a sketchy group of people that promote pigeons to looking golf equipment in Pennsylvania.

The incidents are “underneath investigation by the Animal Cruelty Investigation Squad,” an NYPD spokesman stated.

“These helpless pigeons are sitting geese. They're New Yorkers such as you and I,” stated John Di Leonardo, an animal advocate.

In July 2008, the Put up reported that a Brooklyn pigeon purveyor was accused by an animal-rights group of performing as a conduit for delivering Massive Apple birds to their doom as reside targets in taking pictures contests. On the time, the town Well being Division famous a number of metropolis companies had joined forces to fight the “pigeon netting,” which was incomes the poachers $5 to $10 for every squab.

In July 2015, there have been 300 pigeons netted and snatched from Washington Sq. Park in broad daylight to be offered and killed in Pennsylvania reside shoots.

Pigeon-napping has lengthy been unlawful in New York Metropolis, however in 2019, a new invoice, sponsored by Manhattan Councilmember Carlina Rivera, made it a misdemeanor punishable by a tremendous as much as $1,000 and as much as a yr in jail

“That is an ongoing investigation and extra particulars shall be supplied after they turn into out there,” stated a DEC spokesman, including the company “periodically fields complaints relating to pigeon captures in New York Metropolis.”

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