Headline: Tragedy Strikes Friesland's Ternaard”>Sneek: Duivensport Loses Tens of Pigeons in Arson Attack
By [Your Name], [Publication Date]
In a shocking incident, tens of pigeons have perished in an arson attack on a duivenhok (pigeon loft) in Sneek, Friesland. The incident occurred on the night of December 27, the first to second Christmas day, targeting one of the hokken of duivenvereniging (pigeon association) Scholten Baggel Poelstra.
CCTV footage obtained by [Publication] shows an individual setting something alight and throwing it into the hok, instantly igniting a blaze. Pascal Poelstra, co-owner of the duivenvereniging, is devastated. "Almost all the pigeons are dead," he told [Publication]. "You can’t even imagine this happening."
Out of the 35 pigeons housed in the affected hok, fewer than ten survived. However, Poelstra fears that even those survivors may not make it due to the effects of inhaling smoke. "They’re a mess," he said. "They’re basically as good as dead."
The loss is not just emotional but also substantial. Poelstra estimates that the lost pigeons, competing at a high level in the duivensport, were worth thousands of euros. They were part of a sport where a single bird can command prices up to millions, as seen in 2020 when a Belgian postduif was sold for 1.6 million euros.
Poelstra has reported the incident to the police and has shared the CCTV footage on Facebook, where it has been widely shared. In a bid to catch the culprit, the duivenvereniging is offering a €2000 reward for information leading to their arrest. While Poelstra is at a loss to explain who would do such a thing, he hopes the reward will encourage witnesses to come forward.
This incident is not the first of its kind in Friesland. In 2021, 300,000 euros worth of postduiven (racing pigeons) were stolen in Steggerda, while last year, duiven worth over 500,000 euros were taken in Harkema. The duivensport, an age-old hobby in the Netherlands and Belgium, attracts significant investments, making incidents like these a disturbing trend.
As the police investigation continues, the duivensport community awaits answers, hoping for justice and closure for the lost pigeons and their grieving owners.
Follow [Publication] for more updates on this story.
