Posted on 11/16/2005 2:25:20 PM PST by proud_yank
Animal rights activists in the Netherlands want charges laid in the shooting of a rare sparrow that knocked over 23,000 dominoes as a TV company was setting up for a world-record attempt.
The sparrow, which is on the national endangered list, had flown into an exposition centre on Monday in the northern city of Leeuwarden. After knocking over the dominoes, it was chased into a corner and shot by an exterminator with an air rifle.
"Under Dutch law, you need a permit to kill this kind of bird, and a permit can only be granted when there's a danger to public health or a crop. That was not the case," Dutch animal protection agency spokesman Niels Dorland told the Associated Press.
"I might add: Is it really necessary to kill a bird that knocked over a few dominoes for a game?" he said, adding that the agency plans to bring the case to national prosecutors.
The killing has sparked outrage in the Netherlands.
Death threats have reportedly been made against the man who killed the bird. A Dutch disc jockey has offered a reward of 3,000 euros ($3,500 US) to anyone who topples the dominoes before the official start.
About 100 people with the TV company Endemol NV had spent weeks at the centre setting up more than four million dominoes in an attempt to surpass the official Guinness world record for falling dominoes. The record is 3,992,397.
Endemol spokesman Jeroen van Waardenberg defended the killing of the bird.
"That bird was flying around and knocking over a lot of dominoes," van Waardenberg said. "More than 100 people from 12 countries had worked for more than a month setting them up."
Van Waardenberg added the company may set up a memorial or mention the dead bird during its television broadcast Friday.
But Dorland dismissed Endemol's reason for killing the sparrow.
"I think they were awfully fast to pull out a rifle. If a person started knocking over a few dominoes, they wouldn't shoot him, would they?"
And to think that they call us wackos.....
They should have used a Molotov Cocktail. Then they would have been "frustrated youths".
I think this one tops them all! So damn funny.
The bird deserved it. LOL. Should have been smart enough to fly back out! LOL
Hey, being PC is rule #1. A flying, flaming bird would be pretty comical.
ROFLMAO!!! Perhaps this will shed public light on the Rove Weather machine too
Was it an African or a European sparrow?
The important thing is the deterrence...other sparrows will think twice about knocking over dominoes.
What a bird brain - no not that one, the other one ... no I mean the other other one - sheesh!
..they couldn't spell Domino's, or play it for that matter,but could travel the world standing them up on end
Doogle
"Van Waardenberg added the company may set up a memorial
Being a member of Local 123 UDSU (Union of Domino Setter Uppers) I take umbrage at your remark.....and I hates sparrows.
FMCDH(BITS)
Was the sparrow named "Little Caesar"?
..that'll be $1.29 and would you like a Beer with that?
Doogle
Just remember that if the bird had been granted its animal rights like the activists want, it could have been saved from the maniac human who shot it.
On the other hand, that would mean that the bird would have had to exercise its right to bear arms in order to defend itself and that is something the animal rights activists are opposed to.
But on the third hand, birds don't have arms.
Depends...
I hear they taste kinda like owl...
Blue! .. no Green.......AAaaaooooohhhhhhhhhhhhh............!
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