By Karen Bong
KUCHING, April 1: A family of five found to have been infected by rabies recently has prompted the Kuching South City Council (MBKS) to call on the public to stop feeding stray dogs as well as wild pigeons which could carry diseases that are harmful to humans.
MBKS Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng raised this following a netizen’s complaint about the flocking pigeon issue in the Bintawa area.
He emphasised that there is a need to find solutions for these problems, which are a “headache” for the council, but acknowledged that it is a serious public health concern, especially when the council is now focusing on rabies prevention.
“A dog infected by rabies can act aggressively. So the council is taking all necessary measures, including monitoring and catching stray dogs, to prevent and reduce rabies in Kuching city.
“We will soon start releasing reports on areas affected by rabies and the number of rabies victims. It will be a public document,” he said during his ShallWeeTalk online session with the community today.
On the pigeon issue, Wee explained that the council has attempted to get rid of the pigeons by catching the birds, but the result was not good as not many were caught while the cost incurred was high, apart from the manpower involved.
“We have also considered using repellents or medicines in the long term to reduce their reproduction rate because this bird breeds quickly o tor permit the public to trap them. But a study is needed to see what are the best measures to get rid of or deter pigeons.
“We are still discussing how to get rid, deter, and control the flocking pigeon problem through a win-win situation. As such, all public suggestions and ideas are welcome,” he said.
He also took note of information shared by a netizen that flour manufacturing factories are one of the main causes of attracting pigeons.
For health reasons, Wee thus emphasised that it is important for people to stop feeding the pigeons (intentionally or not) and stop creating food sources that would congregate large numbers of birds in an area.
“From my experience in DBKU (Kuching North City Commission), our efforts were also in vain to get rid of the pigeon problem at Waterfront and Electra House areas,” he added.
Noting that some people may think that feeding or releasing the pigeons is an act of virtue or keeping the flocking pigeons as an attraction, he reminded the public that they could be a public nuisance.
“There are other ways to perform acts of charity. Pigeon droppings can harbour various diseases and parasites, and large accumulations may present a health hazard and cause damage to buildings and disease transmission.
“Residents and even businesses should be considerate of others when trying to do a good deed because wild and stray animals can carry diseases that are dangerous to humans,” he said.
While he does not mind if the public intends to trap and get rid of pigeons nesting in their areas, Wee reminded the public to pay attention to health and safety precautions when handling the birds.
“We need the full cooperation from the people to prevent and end rabies or any health problems in our community,” he said. — DayakDaily
