Pastoral pastime of pigeon racing faces high anxiety over crime spree Belgium's once pastoral pastime of pigeon racing has come to this: Drones swoop over lofts where valuable pigeons are housed to look for security weaknesses, laser sensors set off alarms at night and cameras linked live to mobile apps keep potential thieves at bay — 24/7.
The most expensive bird to come out of the top pigeon racing nation in the world fetched 1.6 million euros ($1.65 million) a few years ago.
The sport involves daily care, over decades, and the rustling of feathers combined with the tranquil cooing often gives breeders a haven of peace in their otherwise bustling lives and a measure of pride if their birds are winners.
No wonder the sport is grappling with an unprecedented spree of unsolved pigeon pilfering that has hit several of the best birds in the business.
This winter season is “extreme,” Pascal Bodengien, the head of the Belgian Pigeon Racing Federation, told The Associated Press.
