Tokyo cab driver arrested for 'mowing down pigeon'

In Japan's capital Tokyo, a cab driver was arrested for allegedly killing a common pigeon on November 13.

The Tokyo police said in a statement that the 50-year-old, Atsushi Ozawa, used his car to violate wildlife protection laws by driving off through a flock of pigeons and killing one of them on a street.

"The taxi reportedly had no passengers at the time and quickly accelerated right after the traffic light changed to green, striking the pigeons. A passerby, who witnessed the incident called him out, to which Ozawa replied by saying things like, 'Pigeons should get out of the way,' and drove away from the scene," said the Metropolitan Police Department of the city.

The driver has reportedly admitted to the allegations and defended himself saying that roads are for people and pigeons have the option to avoid cars.

The postmortem report of the pigeon revealed the cause of death as a traumatic shock.

Is it illegal to kill pigeon in Japan?

While it's legal to hunt a number of game pigeons in Japan, the feral species of the same are permissible for killing only in some specific cases, such as damage to crops and livestock. Further, the killing is allowed after legal permission by the local authorities.

Crow's life matters

The condition of pigeons in Tokyo is absolutely opposite to its crows, as the latter get severely targeted after receiving complaints that they are becoming the major cause of concern of Tokyo's streets.

In 2001, Tokyo's crows were targeted for littering streets with restaurant trash, reacting to which, the former governor of Tokyo, Shintaro Ishihara announced to launch of a war on the city’s crows, almost 36,000 in number. The population of Tokyo's crows reportedlly has reduced by two-thirds over the period of 20 years.