Pigeon Predicament: Taiwanese Man Arrested for Shooting Neighbor's Pets

A Hualien resident faces charges after shooting his neighbor's pet pigeons, sparking public safety concerns.

Taipei, April 23 - A man in Hualien, Taiwan, has been arrested for allegedly shooting and intending to consume two pet pigeons belonging to his neighbor. Local authorities announced the arrest on Wednesday, citing concerns for public endangerment within the residential area of Ji'an Township.

The Hualien Police Bureau reported receiving a complaint last Thursday from a 70-year-old resident, identified as Mr. Lo (羅), who stated that two of his pet pigeons were fatally shot while outside their enclosure during feeding times.

Surveillance footage from Mr. Lo's property captured a man firing shots in the direction of his house. This action caused Mr. Lo and his neighbors to express safety concerns, prompting police involvement.

Following a review of the footage, officers from the bureau's Nanhua Police Station identified the shooter as another man in his 70s, Mr. Lin (林), who lived nearby.

The video shows Mr. Lin arriving on a motorcycle and firing at the pigeons while they were on a telephone pole in front of Mr. Lo's residence, according to the police report.

With a warrant secured from the Hualien District Court, police searched Mr. Lin's home and confiscated an air rifle as evidence.

Mr. Lin explained to the officers that he had no personal conflict with Mr. Lo but wanted to shoot the pigeons for consumption. He stated that he couldn't retrieve the birds because they landed on Mr. Lo's house after being shot.

Police confirmed through testing that the muzzle energy of Mr. Lin's air gun was within legal parameters.

Despite this, Mr. Lin was referred to the Hualien District Prosecutors Office on suspicion of public endangerment and property damage due to the act of firing the weapon towards Mr. Lo's home, which posed a threat to public safety.