THE Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) will organise its second edition of the crow-shooting event this year.
MBSP mayor Datuk Azhar Arshad said various hotspot locations on the mainland will be selected for the special event.
“Known as the Operation: Crow Sharpshooter (Ops Cross), the event will take place on June 17 in central Seberang Perai, July 15 (north Seberang Perai) and Aug 19 in south Seberang Perai.
“MBSP also welcomes any member of the public who owns a valid firearm licence to participate in the event.
“We decided to organise such an event due to public complaints about too many crows on the mainland that affect cleanliness.
“At the same time also, we would like to urge the Seberang Perai residents to stop littering and dumping food that can attract crows to eat. This causes more crows to breed.
“The detail of every Ops Cross location will be posted on the MBSP Facebook page soon,” Azhar told a press conference after chairing a full council meeting at the MBSP headquarters building in Bandar Perda, Bukit Mertajam today.
On a separate matter, Azhar also announced that the city council is offering RM3 for each rat caught, dead or alive, from Jan 31 to Feb 4.
“Through our ‘Zero Rodent Project: Rat to Cash’ in collaboration with Tropical Infectious Diseases Research & Education Centre (Tidrec) Universiti Malaya, the public just need to catch the rats at any premises.
“After that, they can send it to any of the three selected collection centres and collect a cash reward of RM3 for each rat regardless of whether it is dead or alive,” he said.
Azhar added that the three collection centres are Bagan Ajam Market, Bukit Mertajam Market and Tambun Indah Market.
“These collection centres will open from 9am to noon from Jan 31 to Feb 3.
“The other collection centre will be at the MBSP animal pound in Permatang Tinggi. It will be open from 3pm to 4.30pm from Jan 31 to Feb 3, and from 10am to 5pm on Feb 4.
“The city council will later send all the rats to the Tidrec Department, Universiti Malaya for research and study purposes.
“At the same time, such initiative also can help to cut down the rat population,” he said.
Story by Riadz Akmal
Pix by Darwina Mohd Daud