Birds get lost in grocery stores especially in autumn and early winter. However, birds must not be caught with mousetraps. Traps installed for rodents should be protected from birds, says a bird expert.
The little bird was caught in a mousetrap in a shop in the center of Kemi on Tuesday.
What makes the case special is that the bird had gotten into trouble on top of a two-meter cupboard, and not, for example, on the floor.
After this, the store staff also found other mousetraps. They were also installed high above the cabinets.
Särkelä wondered about the incident on social media and wondered if the practice is a common way to repel birds in grocery stores. The update evoked strong reactions. In social media, the case has even been suspected of being an animal welfare crime.
Trade: \”We find out where the traps come from\”
– We are now finding out where the mousetraps come from and how they ended up in our store, Nieminen says.
Nieminen says that Tokmanni uses an outsourced professional in the field, i.e. a pest controller, to repel animals. According to Nieminen, the professional they use has confirmed that he does not use mouse traps but only bait boxes designed for this purpose.
Police: Birds should not be caught with mousetraps
– If the purpose is to catch mice and the bird accidentally ends up there, then it causes its own problems. So you have to think about whether there is reason to suspect a crime or something else.
Määtä also understands the shopkeepers’ side of the matter, because the birds must be removed from the store, as they can mess up, for example, meat and fish.
Can negligent or intentional trapping of birds then fulfill the characteristics of the crime? According to Määtä, it is case-specific.
– It depends, for example, on whether it is a tranquilized bird or not and with which fishing gear the animal was caught.
Määtta emphasizes that in some cases the definition of a crime requires intent.
\”It is very possible that the bird will continue to live on one leg\”
– Yes, those accidents happen when people ask for moles or mice from buildings, for example. Lintuhan uses many of the same foods that people use as bait in traps, Kreivi says.
The count emphasizes that the traps should be protected so that birds cannot get near them.
– It is good to put some kind of protection over the trap, for example a net or a thin plate with a hole for the rodent to pass through. A bird looks for food in sight, but a mole or a mouse finds food and a trap with its sense of smell.
Sanna Särkelä and the salesman who came to the place caught a bird that got into trouble in a chemical store with a jacket. When they freed the bird from the iron, it escaped. According to the count, the customer probably did the right thing when he released the bird.
– Yes, the bird must have experienced pain, but another option would have been euthanizing. Yes, I myself would have let the bird continue its journey, says Kreivi.
The count estimates that the injured bird can continue to live on even one leg. Especially if it was a tit, it will probably be fine.
Birds look for food in shops
Tits and sparrows often get lost in store interiors after food, especially in autumn and early winter, when they are looking for food.
Kreivi, who has ringed around 43,000 birds, is often ordered to help when you want to drive stray birds out of stores.
– I catch birds using the same methods as ringing. I use nets and different fishing gear. I often ask for birds when the shop is quieter and it is closed to customers.
According to the count, catching a bird requires patience and time.
– Doing teaches and birds often have certain places they want to go. Trapping requires knowledge of birds and experience in catching, in order to recognize, for example, the species of bird to be caught.