For weeks in Pordenone we haven’t talked about anything else. The protagonist is a crow who has chosen a large lime tree in Via Damiani as the place to build her nest and raise her young. A presence which, according to numerous reports from residents, would have turned into a security problem due to repeated attacks on passers-by.
Among the most discussed cases is that of an elderly resident who lives in the building opposite the tree. The woman allegedly suffered several attacks, both while she was on the terrace of her house and while traveling along the road. Some incidents also caused injuries and lacerations to the head, fueling calls for immediate intervention by local authorities.
The experts: behavior linked to the defense of children
According to the specialists’ assessments, however, the animal’s behavior would not be anomalous at all. In fact, crows are known to resolutely defend their territory during the nesting period, especially when they perceive a threat to their chicks.
Similar situations have already been observed in other Italian cities and tend to resolve themselves spontaneously when the chicks leave the nest. Precisely for this reason many experts invite us to read the story as an instinctive and natural reaction of a wild animal committed to protecting its offspring, rather than as a deliberate aggression towards people.
The Municipality’s ordinance and the animal rights activists’ appeal
After the failure of the capture attempts and the dissuasive measures adopted so far, the mayor of Pordenone, Alessandro Basso, signed a new ordinance which also contemplates the possibility of killing the animal, considering the situation a matter of public order.
A decision that provoked a harsh reaction from LAV, the Anti-Vivisection League. The association has announced an urgent appeal to the TAR of Trieste asking for the immediate suspension of the measure. For animal rights activists, eliminating the crow would mean not only killing an adult specimen, but also indirectly condemning the young ones present in the nest. The OIPA also intervened to defend the animal that is causing discussion.
Umbrellas, silhouettes and waiting: the alternatives to suppression
Lav claims that there are less drastic and perfectly practicable solutions. Among the proposals put forward include the installation of dissuasive silhouettes, the temporary delimitation of the area and even the use of a simple umbrella by passers-by crossing the area. According to the association, the nesting period is now nearing its end and it would be enough to wait a few more days for the situation to return naturally.
A position that reignites the debate on how to manage the coexistence between man and wildlife in cities. On the one hand the safety needs of the residents, on the other the protection of an animal which, as animal rights activists point out, is simply following its natural instinct to protect its young. And the problem certainly cannot be solved by killing a living being.
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