Illicit pigeon coop dismantled

Workers dismantle the 12-year-old pigeon coop Thursday after its owner gave his consent. Photo: Cai Xianmin/GT

Workers began tearing down an illegal rooftop pigeon coop Thursday that was built in Baoshan district 12 years ago, the local government said.

Local officials persuaded the coop's owner, surnamed You, to agree to dismantle the structure during a meeting Wednesday, three years after the local housing authority ruled it was illegal, according to local media reports.

Workers removed the second of the structure's two stories by 1 pm Thursday, according to a press release from the Baoshan District People's Government. The government expects workers will have finished dismantling the coop by the end of the week.

The structure sits on the rooftop of a residential building on Hualing Road. It was built in 2001 by the previous owner of You's apartment, who was a carrier pigeon enthusiast, the Shanghai Evening Post reported.

The building's property management company and neighborhood committee at the time failed to convince the owner to take down the coop.

You took possession of the coop when he bought the property in 2009.

In 2010, the local housing authority ruled that the coop should be demolished.

It froze the deed on the property because it feared a sale would only further complicate the matter, the Shanghai Morning Post reported.

The 240 or so birds that resided in the coop will be temporarily kept in cages on the rooftop, said a press officer from the Baoshan District People's Government.

The local pigeon association promised to help You get approval to build a legal coop as soon as possible, the Shanghai Morning Post reported.

Officials believed it was better to get You's permission to remove the coop because it would be too difficult to tear down without his cooperation.