Considered the most beautiful pitch in Ligue 1, Paris Saint-Germain revealed this Saturday the secret to the success of the Parc des Princes green carpet: nothing less than… hawks!
Six years ago a falconry company was hired to protect the turf from pigeon attacks.
“It takes 12 weeks to have a lawn in good condition. This year, with the concerts, we had to work longer before the competition returned. Big cities like London or Paris are known for pigeons. They eat grass seeds, and without seeds we have no grass. That’s where the hawks come in, a tactic to scare off the pigeons and thus let the grass grow naturally,” said Jonathan Calderwood, PSG’s head gardener.
«On the first day we do thirty to forty attacks, some birds are specially trained to intervene in the stadiums. For example, the hawk ‘Harris’ comes directly from the United States, it is one of those that hunts in packs, like wolves», explained Calderwood.
For the service, the Parisian emblem pays Christophe Puzin to falconry around €20,000 a year.
?? Falcons to preserve the lawn of the Parc des Princes! ???? pic.twitter.com/nSIsA4NCWA
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) July 2, 2022
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