Purr–dah: German town bans cats from going outdoors to protect rare bird
The town of Walldorf says the ban could be in place for the next three summers
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Authorities in the southwest German town of Walldorf have ordered some cat owners to keep their pets indoors until the end of August, to protect a rare bird during its breeding season.
The decree is designed to help save the crested lark, which makes its nest on the ground and is therefore easy prey for feline hunters.
The bird population in western Europe has declined sharply in recent decades.
Authorities in Walldorf wrote that “among other things, the survival of the species depends on every single chick”.
A songbird, the crested lark is found across Europe, including in Britain. Numbers have been declining across the continent in recent years.
Some 15,000 people live in Walldorf, eight miles southwest of the city of Heidelberg.
The decree, which applies to all cats in the southern part of the town and will be repeated for the coming three years, has reportedly distressed pet owners.
Regional daily Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung reported on Wednesday that the head of the local animal protection association plans to take legal steps to challenge the decree.
“Please remain calm,” it quoted him as saying. “I can assure you we’ll do our best to stop this disproportionate measure.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments