A taxi driver in Tokyo ran afoul of the country's strict wildlife laws when he deliberately drove into a flock of pigeons, killing one, police say. The driver, 50-year-old Atsushi Ozawa, allegedly accelerated and drove into the flock last month after a traffic light turned green, the Mainichi reports. Ozawa was reported to police by a witness. He reportedly told investigators, "Roads belong to humans, so pigeons should have dodged out of the way." He could face a maximum penalty of a year in prison or a $7,000 fine.
In Japan, as elsewhere, pigeons are considered a nuisance, the New York Times reports. But the birds have a greater degree of legal protection in Japan than in many other countries. The wildlife law doesn't distinguish between pigeons and other wild birds, meaning it is illegal to kill the birds or remove them and their nests without permission from local authorities. Some apartment complexes have resorted to hiring falconers to scare pigeons away.
Ozawa allegedly drove into the flock at 37mph. According to Japanese media, police described his actions as "highly malicious" for a professional driver. A veterinarian who carried out an autopsy on the deceased pigeon determined that it died of traumatic shock, the Guardian reports. On social media, some people said the driver had "crossed a line" by allegedly killing the pigeon, while others questioned the need to prosecute Ozawa. "I just don't understand why the police tried so hard," one person wrote, per the Times. (More Japan stories.)
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