A falconry enthusiast in the province of Trento is ready to defy local authorities over their demand that he rid himself of his 'foreign' birds.
Lino Dossi has for the past eight years been illustrating the art of falconry using his two American Harris falcons, a male and a female, which he bought in Germany.
But now he has been ordered by provincial authorities in Trentino to turn the birds in to a specialised center because of a recent law banning 'foreign' falcons in order to promote and protect local ones.
However, there is no such center in Trentino and the nearest is in Castel Tirolo, in the neighboring province of Alto Adige, which together with Trento form the autonomous region of Trentino-Alto Adige.
''I will never do that! I once left an eagle in their bird cage and it almost died,'' Dossi said.
''I'm too attached to my falcons and I won't give them to anyone, no matter what they do to me. I'd rather set them free even if they arrest me for it,'' he added.
Forestry officials in the province of Trento said that in 2006 Dossi could have filed for an exemption before the law banning foreign falcons went into effect.
Since he failed to do so, he has now been given an ultimatum to surrender his birds.
