Pigeon racing takes flight

A small segment of men are slowly falling to the charms of the homing bird

Dakar: Oumar Johnson ducks to enter his cramped dovecote, built atop a city apartment block, and snatches his favourite pigeon from dozens of birds fluttering and cooing around him.
“This pigeon is called Super King,” he says, holding the animal proudly aloft.

The pedigree bird is the most expensive pigeon in Senegal, which Johnson bought at auction to inject a competitive edge into the country’s fledgeling .

The 30-year-old scientist is one of a small but growing number of Senegalese men who have fallen for the charms of breeding and racing homers, some to the point of obsession. “We have a sort of addiction to this animal, the homing pigeon,” says Johnson, the president of the Senegalese federation of pigeon fanciers.

“It’s another way of life.” Long established in countries such as Belgium, France and China, pigeon racing took off in Senegal only over the past decade after ornamental bird breeders stumbled across the sport online, according to Johnson.

The West African nation now boasts some 350 enthusiasts, many of whom ignore protests from family and loved ones and devote most of their free time, and sizeable sums of money, to their pigeons.

In late October, dozens of mostly young men brought crates of homers to a suburban Dakar rooftop to register them for a pre-season test race — one of several that took place that weekend. Senegalese pigeon-racing enthusiasts are keen to turn others on to the sport, and some hope to ultimately turn professional.

“When you’re too busy with pigeons, things risk going badly,” he says, adding that the federation is considering less time-consuming races for youngsters.Young people are nonetheless the future of the sport, Johnson says, adding that their devotion will make Senegal “one of the greatest pigeon-racing nations” one day.