Did it ever occur to you that that pigeon passing overhead might be working for a living? And that he might well be earning more than you do? If you’re in Taiwan, it’s a very real possibility.

In fact, in a country said to have the world’s most fervent pigeon fanciers, and most demanding races, money is what it’s all about. Huge sums exchange hands over Taiwan’s pigeons: Prize money can reach US$3 million for a really big race, and one event a few years ago saw total wagers of $13 million!

Introduced by the country’s Japanese occupiers early in the 20th century, pigeon racing eventually became a national obsession. Today, an estimated 30,000 Taiwanese race the birds, with 50,000 more helping to raise and train them. More than 160 private clubs are devoted to the sport.

The money doesn’t come only from gambling. The Chinese Taipei Pigeon Racing Association annually issues about 600,000 of the official leg bands that identify each bird. At $85 a pop, somebody must be doing all right. Buying and selling the racers is a moneymaker too: Prices on the best pigeons start at about $20,000 and can rise steeply from there.

Considering the work they do, they’re are probably worth every penny. The most grueling competitions, the ones for which Taiwanese racing is famous, involve releasing the pigeons from a boat about 200 miles offshore and letting them find their way home—if they can. A winner might clock an average speed of more than a mile a minute.

And of course, where would gambling be without criminals? Taiwanese racing is said to be rife with criminality. Kidnapping is common, with the bad guys setting up huge nets to catch the birds, then ransoming them back to their owners. Usually they get away with it, but not long ago pigeon fanciers caught up with a few kidnappers and took matters into their own hands. By the time the feathers had stopped flying, one man was dead and a few others injured.

(links 1 2)

By DanBing on 31-08-2009