Crows go on destructive rampage amid failing gov't response

Social Affairs

Published: 23 Jun. 2024, 18:32 Updated: 24 Jun. 2024, 17:51

Crows go on destructive rampage amid failing gov't response

A crow holds a golf ball with its beak in Seocho District, Seoul, on Jan. 16. [NEWS1]

Crows are reportedly wreaking havoc on the nation’s power infrastructure, causing blackouts.

At 7 a.m. on June 13, a sudden explosion shattered the calm in Yeonjae District, Busan. A power distribution board erupted with a bang, sending smoke into the air. The incident plunged around 500 homes and a nearby middle school into darkness for two hours.

Last Septemeber, 483 households in Guro District, western Seoul, endured a similar four-hour power outage.

The culprits behind these disruptions were crows, which were found electrocuted near the damaged telephone poles.

In Ulsan, 900 households including restaurants experience power outage on Feb. 6. after a crow likely contacted the high-tension wire. [YONHAP]

There have been 103 power outages nationwide likely caused by crows over three years from 2021, according to Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco).

Out of the 35 cases reported last year, Gyeonggi experienced the highest number of power outages with six incidents, followed by South Gyeongsang and Gwangwon, each with five cases, said Kepco.

These blackouts are not the only problems caused by crows. The birds also attack people.

On June 17, near Busan District Court, a person trying to help an injured crow was suddenly attacked by another crow.

“I was putting the injured crow on a flowerpot when another crow knocked my head," said the attacked person. "I was baffled when it returned and pecked me repeatedly."

The main troublemakers are large-billed crows, which measure around 57 centimeters in length. They feed on tree fruits, insects and rotten meat, but those in cities primarily feed on food waste.

The large-billed crows navigate the city — where natural predators like goshawks or eagle owls are absent — and pose a threat to power facilities as they nest and forage near them.

An image of crow, which was desinated as vermin last December. [YONHAP]

Following their destructive behavior, large-billed crows, along with other birds like jackdaws and rooks, were designated as vermin last December. This designation allowed them to be captured with local government approval under the Wildlife Protection and Management Act.

However, despite this designation, very few people attempt to capture them due to a lack of incentives.

Hunters of wild pigs, also designated as major vermin, receive a moderate reward — 200,000 won ($144) from the central government and 100,000 won from local authorities.

Licensed hunters, after obtaining local government permission, are recruited to capture wild pigs in urban areas.

In contrast, there is no such incentive for capturing large-billed crows, and obtaining permission is nearly impossible.

"We grant capture permission for traps or firearms, but catching crows with traps is tough due to their intelligence. Using guns in the city cannot be allowed due to the risk to people and buildings," a Busan official said.

Consequently, not a single large-billed crow has been captured in Busan, a situation likely mirrored in other cities.

Magpies attack a crow in Pohang, North Gyeongsang, in June 12, 2023. [NEWS1]

Park Hee-chan, head of Kyoungpook National University's Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, emphasized the need for preventive measures to mitigate the damage caused by the growing number of crows.

“Farmers and Kepco used to pay people to catch crows when they caused severe damage to crops or power outages. However, they no longer handle the matter this way,” Park said. “Crows often nest at power distribution panels and use metal [in their nests], which can lead to significant accidents. Preventive measures are necessary.”

For for the reason behind the sudden rise in the crow population in cities, Park pointed to the decline of magpies.

“In nature, magpies were the crows’ rivals," Park said. "However, after magpies were designated as vermin in the 1990s, their numbers dropped rapidly, leading to an increase in crows."

BY KIM MIN-JU, WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]