(14 Jan 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ranst, Belgium - 13 January 2025
1. Various of pigeon racer Frans Bungeneers showing a racing pigeon
2. Various of Bungeneers' pigeon loft
3. SOUNDBITE (Dutch) Frans Bungeneers, pigeon racer:
"And then, at some point in 2016, November 2016, they broke open the chicken coops and tore down the garden shed. Now in the meantime, it has changed, but in all likelihood, they came first for reconnaissance and then they stole sixty pigeons. All adult pigeons included many top-quality pigeons. Most likely it was a commissioned theft.”
4. Bungeneers walking in front of his pigeon loft
5. Various of racing pigeons inside the loft
6. Bungeneers showing his pigeon racing trophies from the Bruges Barcelona Club
7. SOUNDBITE (Dutch) Frans Bungeneers, pigeon racer:
“Now I can talk about it because it is so many years ago. But it was such an incredible blow for me. I can tell you honestly, I cried like a little boy because my life’s work was completely destroyed. I wanted to stop pigeon racing completely. I was broken, I honestly admit. It is something that you have to build up for years. And if you have those successes and those birds are then taken away, you know that it takes years, if you are lucky enough, to ever reach that level.”
8. Views of the security system installed at Bugeneers pigeon loft
9. SOUNDBITE (Dutch) Frans Bungeneers, pigeon racer:
“I always ask myself the question: look it is actually a hobby, but in order to protect your top pigeons you need to install extra protection. Cameras, sensors, alarms. All the time, when you go somewhere you have to look at your app to check the cameras, security. If there is an alarm, or sometimes the alarm detection goes, you go check the sheds. And that gives you turmoil. You have to invest thousands of euros in your own hobby to keep potential thieves away. For many people, that is too much and they drop out. They say look, instead of a hobby that gives me peace of mind, it gives me unrest. And they say I don’t want this and they get out.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Halle, Belgium - 6 January 2025
10. Exterior of the Belgian Pigeon Racing Federation
11. Various of Belgian Pigeon Racing Federation meeting about pigeon thefts
12. SOUNDBITE (Dutch) Pascal Bodengien, Chairman of the Belgian Pigeon Racing Federation:
"We currently face an exceptional spate of thefts. It is a recurring phenomenon in winter but this year it is extreme. Not a week goes by without a theft somewhere. And that is why it gets a lot more attention now and finally it gets to be taken more seriously now. Because in the past we had the impression that police and the public prosecutor's office didn’t pay too much attention.”
13. Various of racing pigeons at the Belgian Pigeon Racing Federation
14. SOUNDBITE (Dutch) Pascal Bodengien, Chairman of the Belgian Pigeon Racing Federation:
“With a pigeon that is stolen, the only option open to them is breeding. They cannot take it anywhere, they cannot go to China, so we suspect that they are going to the East Bloc countries and that the thieves are also coming from there. Of course it could also be here in Belgium. No one really has an overall view on it."
15. Close up of racing pigeons
STORYLINE:
Belgium's once pastoral pastime of pigeon racing has come to this: invading drones swoop over lofts to look for security weaknesses. Laser detectors set off alarms at night and cameras linked live to mobile apps keep fanciers on edge, always.
"It is a recurring phenomenon in winter but this year it is extreme. Not a week goes by without a theft somewhere."
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RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ranst, Belgium - 13 January 2025
1. Various of pigeon racer Frans Bungeneers showing a racing pigeon
2. Various of Bungeneers' pigeon loft
3. SOUNDBITE (Dutch) Frans Bungeneers, pigeon racer:
"And then, at some point in 2016, November 2016, they broke open the chicken coops and tore down the garden shed. Now in the meantime, it has changed, but in all likelihood, they came first for reconnaissance and then they stole sixty pigeons. All adult pigeons included many top-quality pigeons. Most likely it was a commissioned theft.”
4. Bungeneers walking in front of his pigeon loft
5. Various of racing pigeons inside the loft
6. Bungeneers showing his pigeon racing trophies from the Bruges Barcelona Club
7. SOUNDBITE (Dutch) Frans Bungeneers, pigeon racer:
“Now I can talk about it because it is so many years ago. But it was such an incredible blow for me. I can tell you honestly, I cried like a little boy because my life’s work was completely destroyed. I wanted to stop pigeon racing completely. I was broken, I honestly admit. It is something that you have to build up for years. And if you have those successes and those birds are then taken away, you know that it takes years, if you are lucky enough, to ever reach that level.”
8. Views of the security system installed at Bugeneers pigeon loft
9. SOUNDBITE (Dutch) Frans Bungeneers, pigeon racer:
“I always ask myself the question: look it is actually a hobby, but in order to protect your top pigeons you need to install extra protection. Cameras, sensors, alarms. All the time, when you go somewhere you have to look at your app to check the cameras, security. If there is an alarm, or sometimes the alarm detection goes, you go check the sheds. And that gives you turmoil. You have to invest thousands of euros in your own hobby to keep potential thieves away. For many people, that is too much and they drop out. They say look, instead of a hobby that gives me peace of mind, it gives me unrest. And they say I don’t want this and they get out.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Halle, Belgium - 6 January 2025
10. Exterior of the Belgian Pigeon Racing Federation
11. Various of Belgian Pigeon Racing Federation meeting about pigeon thefts
12. SOUNDBITE (Dutch) Pascal Bodengien, Chairman of the Belgian Pigeon Racing Federation:
"We currently face an exceptional spate of thefts. It is a recurring phenomenon in winter but this year it is extreme. Not a week goes by without a theft somewhere. And that is why it gets a lot more attention now and finally it gets to be taken more seriously now. Because in the past we had the impression that police and the public prosecutor's office didn’t pay too much attention.”
13. Various of racing pigeons at the Belgian Pigeon Racing Federation
14. SOUNDBITE (Dutch) Pascal Bodengien, Chairman of the Belgian Pigeon Racing Federation:
“With a pigeon that is stolen, the only option open to them is breeding. They cannot take it anywhere, they cannot go to China, so we suspect that they are going to the East Bloc countries and that the thieves are also coming from there. Of course it could also be here in Belgium. No one really has an overall view on it."
15. Close up of racing pigeons
STORYLINE:
Belgium's once pastoral pastime of pigeon racing has come to this: invading drones swoop over lofts to look for security weaknesses. Laser detectors set off alarms at night and cameras linked live to mobile apps keep fanciers on edge, always.
"It is a recurring phenomenon in winter but this year it is extreme. Not a week goes by without a theft somewhere."
Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/
You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/ebc66633c74c4b19a6d3f1ad3754c400
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