Costly pigeon droppings fuel nationwide push for feeding bans

As feral pigeons increasingly make their homes in urban centers across Korea, local governments are moving to curb their population by banning residents from feeding them. In Ulsan, a man in his 50s recently faced an unexpected financial burden — more than 400,000 won ($290) in air conditioner repair fees — after a malfunction was traced to acidic pigeon droppings corroding the unit’s outdoor condenser. “At first I didn’t think much of the pigeons nesting on my balcony,” he said. “But now it’s a constant mess, and even after installing bird spikes, droppings are still falling from the neighbor’s unit above.” As pigeons increasingly settle in city parks, apartment complexes and playgrounds, complaints from residents are on the rise. This has prompted a wave of new local ordinances outlawing the feeding of wild pigeons, supported by recent legal changes. According to the Ministry of Environment, pigeons, specifically the urban-dwelling pigeons, have been designated as harmful wildlife since 2009. While they naturally breed twice a year in the wild, abundant food and a lWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times