NCSPCA stops Matjiesfontein pigeon race

The NCSPCA has halted a pigeon race scheduled to take place from Matjiesfontein, in the Western Cape, to Pretoria, it said.

The race organisers filed an urgent application with the High Court in Pretoria on Thursday asking that a warning they received from the animal protection group be set aside.

The National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NCSPCA) opposed the application, and said the race was cruel and inhumane.

"The distance is further compounded by the fact that the pigeons would have to fly across drought-stricken areas, especially in the Northern Cape," it said.

The judge dismissed the organisers' application ordered that the race be cancelled.