Cage & Aviary Birds Magazine No.5787 Straight line to quality Vorige editie

WHAT IS THE appropriate punishment for people who steal birds? Cage & Aviary Birds has touched on this subject more than once recently. Now, a new e-petition is calling for mandatory prison sentences (see News, page 4). Although the petition refers mainly to pet animals, it explicitly mentions aviary birds, which brings it into our bailiwick. Should we all sign? A critical clause in the petition demands that “pet theft punishment” should be “set somewhere between kidnapping and the theft of property or an object”. It adds: “The personal value of a pet is much higher than its saleable value and the law needs to reflect this.” That’s spot on, and applies equally to exhibition birds: nobody would pretend the true value of a bird or stud is restricted to a sales valuation. Many fanciers would truthfully claim that their birds are above price.
Moreover, all bird thefts involve cruelty: if not physical pain, then severe distress and disorientation. Yes, bird theft is closer to kidnapping than to stealing an object. You’ll find the e-petition at: http://epetitions.direct.
gov.uk/petitions/45882. ■ It’s a pleasure to read zebra finch stalwart Jim Addison’s article on page 13 about the successful revival of Carlisle National CBS. “It can be done!” is the message. And if you’re contemplating starting or restarting a club, don’t forget – we’re here to help with publicity. ■ Amateur birdkeepers, says Bill Naylor on page 17, often write better articles than professional experts. You’re telling me: one thing that drives me and my colleagues round the twist is the fog of needless jargon we have to cut through when we’re researching science stories for the news pages. I mean it’s not as though these boffins can’t... ah, don’t get me started. Have a great week!