In a small village in northern Lebanon, a poultry predicament has sparked a full-blown ban on roosters. In the village of Bednayel, the local council has taken the unprecedented step of banning all male chickens.
Complaints about sleep deprivation, disrupted routines, and even health issues linked to the noise pollution have pushed the village council to act.
Roosters have been humanity’s alarm clocks, a natural wake-up call for rural communities worldwide since before clocks existed. Apparently, they are now public enemies in northern Lebanon.
The municipality chief of Bednayel in the Al-Koura region, Salaheddine Al-Ayoubi, issued the decision banning villagers from keeping roosters to maintain public order and prevent loud noises during the daytime.
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Al-Ayoubi said, “It is illegal to keep pet roosters between village houses because they squawk loudly and cause mess and awful smells … not only roosters, but also chickens or any other animal that causes public disorder. Tens of residents complained of roosters’ crowing during the daytime, and due to that, I issued the decision.”
He added that, “I did not prevent them from owning roosters … Whoever wants to keep a rooster could do so, but not between the houses. Tens of residents have complained of the loud crowing at any time during the day. That is not acceptable … So they are free to have roosters away from the houses and not between them.”
Al-Ayoubi stated that anyone who owns a pet must take all necessary measures to avoid causing disturbance to inhabitants, such as maintaining cleanliness, reducing noise, and not allowing animals to roam unsupervised.
The decision also bans driving motorcycles with loud or modified noises. Any motorcycle that violates the regulations will be impounded, and its driver fined.
