REGULATING POPULATIONS OF SYNANTHROPIC VERTEBRATES IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC

Abstract:
At the National Reference Laboratory for Insect and Rodent Control at the National Institute of Public Health, there have been elaborated three methodical instructions concerning the regulation of populations of synanthropic rodents, feral cats, and urban pigeons. Up to the time of their publication many a pest control intervention ended in encounters with activists from animal protection organizations. Since the enforcement of the methodical instructions in practice, requirements for regulation the numbers of pigeons in cities have increased three times and in other case of feral cats five times. Statistics relate to over 1,000 registered interventions. The present contribution presents the main principles and requirements in each of the methodical instructions.