What animals they have at Amsterdam airport to chase away the birds
These farm animals are actually scarecrows for the pesky birds.
he inventive Dutch have long enlisted these farm animals to solve a crucial air traffic problem. A pilot project launched 3 years ago used flocks of pigs to deter flocks of geese and other birds attracted to discarded sugar beets in nearby farmland and blocking aircraft traffic.
The 19 “constable” pigs are simply enjoying life on a 5-acre parcel of land between two runways at Schiphol Airport, turning the fields into muddy habitats by eating the debris that attracts the birds, which can collide with planes and at worst damage engines, according to the Guardian.
The airport had long ago implemented measures to deal with the problem, through controllers recording the birds’ movements so that they could be immediately evicted. However, the problem of sweet bulbs attracting the animals remained, so a local pig farmer, Stan Gloudemans, suggested the original idea to officials.
Pig patrol: Amsterdam airport’s innovative approach to flight safety https://t.co/BqPnhkme0P pic.twitter.com/n7YSRuZ8kS
– Stuart Wallace (@StuartLWallace) November 24, 2021
“Geese like beetroot and when it’s left in the fields, they flock to eat it,” he had told the medium. “About 30 geese gather at a time, and they are a danger to aircraft. Here, the pigs have eaten the beetroot, so the geese stay away.”
