Belgian pigeon fanciers are in uproar as thousands of racing pigeons vanish in French storm 

After thousands of their birds went missing after being released into harsh weather during an inappropriate competition, Belgian pigeon fanciers are in an uproar. In southern France's Narbonne, the birds were released to begin their journey back to their lofts in northern Europe, but they soon encountered a summer storm. The Belgian Pigeon Federation called the results a catastrophe and accused the organisers of permitting the birds to take to the skies despite weather warnings.

Francine Lageot, the director of Liège Independent, apologised in writing on Belgian television, stating that "it is true that the competition did not go well for different reasons." However, Liège Independent responded to "unfortunate" claims regarding the way it handled the race's organisation in a statement. The organisers acknowledged one rule violation but claimed that the release of the birds was agreed upon by French, Dutch, and German officials and that the Belgian national sports president had been informed. The competition would have been considerably more challenging due to rising temperatures and strong headwinds, according to Liège Independent, because of the "climatic conditions" in the ensuing days.

The figure of 20,000 lost birds, which has been widely publicised, is "completely false," according to federation spokeswoman Didier Tison. Approximately 3,000 to 4,000 lost birds from Belgium, he continued, was an "exceptional" figure, but he was unable to confirm the total for other nations. Pigeon racing, in which birds have released hundreds of miles from home and try to return as quickly as possible, was invented in Belgium. Tracking devices are worn by racing pigeons, making it possible to determine which bird was the fastest.

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It is believed that pigeons use their sense of smell and the magnetic field lines of the Earth to navigate. They flew into a storm that is suspected to have left them exhausted and disoriented last Friday, 18 miles (30 km) from the race's start, confusing their highly developed sense of direction. Losses hurt for die-hard pigeon enthusiasts. When growing a bird, amateurs can invest two to three years and thousands of euros in renowned breeders who will produce the next wave of winners.

(with inputs from agencies)