For the people who live in Capuchins Street, Kalkara, the days of Wild Kingdom may be coming right on their doorstep.

Our neighbourhood has become an unwelcome home and breeding ground to three various types of poultry, which have made the Kalkara Valley fields adjacent to Capuchins Street their natural nesting ground. After having escaped from a near-by farm in the valley, these wild cocks, hens and chickens have been freely roaming the streets with the full blessing of the local council. Local residents have long complained of feathers on the sidewalks, a rancid stench in the summertime and children chasing errant fowl through the streets.

Complaining directly to mayor Michael Cohen personally, the blunt reply I received, though expected, is incredulous: “It is not true that residents are complaining and they like them”. This is as far from the truth as may possibly suggest. When I answered that the majority of the neighbours were complaining, the attitude and response suddenly turned hostile and insulting!

On such an issue, I expect that my voice is heard and that as a resident I am shown the due respect that each and every citizen deserves. I hope that Mr Cohen stands by what he stated in past, mainly that “first and foremost we are Kalkarizi”. The mayor has a duty, obligation and moral responsibility to safeguard against any present health risk and hazard posed to the citizens of his locality. I have politely tried to bring this to the mayor’s attention with a view to breaking down the barriers of ignorance; however, it seems that “all animals are equal, but some animals, are more equal than others.” (George Orwell – Animal Farm).

Some residents have complained of chickens hiding under their cars. I do not need to collect signatures on a petition, asking the council to remove the poultry annoying residents by crowing and hollering from the little hours of four in the morning, ranting right through the afternoon.

Neither do I have to point out that stray feathers and an offensive odour during warmer months may be catalysts to some of the most commonly encountered poultry diseases such as botulism, fowl typhoid, infectious bronchitis, mycoplasma, ulcerative enteritis, not to mention tapeworms and mites. Then there is the direct consequence that a handful of people leave food lying on rubble walls and rats infesting the area during night-time.

EU legislation and local sanitation regulation prohibits wild animals to be kept in areas where inhabitants reside or live. The mayor should be cognizant of these facts.

Furthermore, the wild cocks and hens roaming our street represent a serious danger to drivers and motorists. It has been more than one occasion while driving to work that a wild cock has flown across my windscreen and a car recently skirted on the pavement to avoid hitting a fowl. Do we have to wait for an accident to happen to take action?

Indeed, if you move near a chicken market, you should expect a few feathers!

I hope that the health and local authorities take care of this matter.

Martin Vella

Kalkara