Crows
Words: Liana Ponce
Photos: Sir Frank
Photos: Sir Frank
It is thought the problem really started in 1994 when the Tokyo Metropolitan Government pushed the use of clear garbage bags because they are more environmentally friendly. So friendly apparently that Tokyo’s crows couldn’t get enough of them. The birds could see right through the bags and feast on last night’s leftovers. This influx of food helped them reproduce, creating the crow infestation.
By 2001 the city was home to almost 37,000 birds, compared to 7,000 in 1985. In the campaign launched against the birds, the government pushed the use of anti-bird nets for use over garbage, garbage collection at night, and the all out capturing and execution of birds. While they showed some success, these methods left much to be desired.
Translucence might ultimately lead to a human victory over the winged menace. After a series of crow tests, a yellow kind of semi-transparent trash bag was developed. The pigment is such that humans can make out the contents but not the crows. These combined efforts reduced the crow population to 20,000 by 2004, but the battle continues.
allice80
02.12.12 8:18PMOMG! This is a lesson to be learned from Japan, transparent trash bags are definitely not a solution. I hope they changed their policies by now and based on that I am pretty sure our Mesa junk removal service won't change it's current policies. The last thing we need is the crows to cover the city...
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