AR-News: (Taiwan) Illegal pigeon race called off after 5, 000 birds drown

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Illegal pigeon race called off after 5,000 birds drown off Taiwan   
Mon Mar 8, 8:40 AM ET  Add Offbeat - AFP to My Yahoo! 
 
TAIPEI (AFP) - At least 5,000 pigeons were killed when their cages fell of a cargo boat on the way to the start of an illegal race off the Taiwan coast. 

About 30,000 birds were due to take part in the third of a seven-leg race with about 100 million Taiwan dollars (three million US) of illegal bets staked on the result. 

Gambling in Taiwan is allowed only on the state-run lottery although the authorities often turn a blind eye to pigeon racing, which is hugely popular on the island off China's southeast coast. 


The accident happened as chains holding the bird cages became loose on one of the two boats taking the birds into the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and the Philippines, newspaper and television reports said. 


"I have taken part in pigeon races for 20 years but such an accident has never happened before," Tsai Jui-bin, an official of a pigeon association in central Chiayi county was quoted as saying by the Chinese-daily United Daily News. 


The race was cancelled.