October 27, 2005
Pigeons and Falcons, Falcons and Pigeons
In two articles from Gulf News October 26th avian bird flu is the focus:
1. "Bird flu scare robs falconers of their sport"
Thousands of UAE falcon hunters, who traditionally travel to Asian and North African countries, are giving up the sport following the outbreak of bird flu in Asia and parts of Europe.
The hunters are being advised to forget about the sport at least for this year, as the birds may be carrying the deadly avian virus.
The UAE has joined other countries, such as the United States, in having a contingency plan in case of a bird flu outbreak in the country. Sources from the Health Ministry and Agriculture and Fisheries Ministry said the plan incorporates various government agencies.
(Samir Salama, Bureau Chief)
And;
2. "Give residents the correct signal"
There was panic in a Dubai school on Monday after a dead pigeon was found in the yard. School officials, fearing it was a case of bird flu, called Dubai Municipality for instructions.
But they were disappointed with the response of the city authorities. They were told to just throw the dead pigeon away, before another section stepped in and confirmed that the bird had tested negative for the flu.
(staff writer)
If I recall my Dubai Channel 33 viewing of the sport of falconry correctly, domestically kept pigeons are the prey and food of falcons in the hunting OFF season, yes? I guess the advice to falconers to avoid their sport of hunting bustards in Pakistan, etc., due to the flu scare, written about by the Bureau chief himself, has not yet filtered down to the staff writer level. The falconers will need another source of food for their falcons in the forced OFF season, no? Will not the falconers turn to their domestically kept pigeons in these trying times of having to avoid their sport for a year? Neither has the advice from authorities written about by bureau chief Samir seem to have filtered down to the municipality level when it comes to meting out instructions on how to deal with suspicious dead falcons' prey lying in UAE school yards.
1. "Bird flu scare robs falconers of their sport"
Thousands of UAE falcon hunters, who traditionally travel to Asian and North African countries, are giving up the sport following the outbreak of bird flu in Asia and parts of Europe.
The hunters are being advised to forget about the sport at least for this year, as the birds may be carrying the deadly avian virus.
The UAE has joined other countries, such as the United States, in having a contingency plan in case of a bird flu outbreak in the country. Sources from the Health Ministry and Agriculture and Fisheries Ministry said the plan incorporates various government agencies.
(Samir Salama, Bureau Chief)
And;
2. "Give residents the correct signal"
There was panic in a Dubai school on Monday after a dead pigeon was found in the yard. School officials, fearing it was a case of bird flu, called Dubai Municipality for instructions.
But they were disappointed with the response of the city authorities. They were told to just throw the dead pigeon away, before another section stepped in and confirmed that the bird had tested negative for the flu.
(staff writer)
If I recall my Dubai Channel 33 viewing of the sport of falconry correctly, domestically kept pigeons are the prey and food of falcons in the hunting OFF season, yes? I guess the advice to falconers to avoid their sport of hunting bustards in Pakistan, etc., due to the flu scare, written about by the Bureau chief himself, has not yet filtered down to the staff writer level. The falconers will need another source of food for their falcons in the forced OFF season, no? Will not the falconers turn to their domestically kept pigeons in these trying times of having to avoid their sport for a year? Neither has the advice from authorities written about by bureau chief Samir seem to have filtered down to the municipality level when it comes to meting out instructions on how to deal with suspicious dead falcons' prey lying in UAE school yards.
