A rare breed of giant Asian fowl has become the latest must-have status symbol on some Irish council estates.
Shamo fowl, which stand almost one metre high and are bred to fight, are changing hands for up to 300. The birds, which unlike other chickens enjoy human company and sometimes eat raw meat, are being kept in back gardens and on green spaces on some estates.
The Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dspca) says it is concerned at the "sudden popularity" of the fowl, which is characterised by reptilian looks, fighting capability, long neck and gangly legs.
Orla Aungier, a Dspca spokeswoman, said inspectors recently seized three shamo cockerels from a council house after gardai received a report of two "large chickens" fighting in a garden. The society has also encountered Shamo cockerels tethered to wooden stakes on green spaces in Ballymun and Coolock.
Large Asian fowl roaming housing estates in Dublin is a new phenomenon, according to Aungier. She said animal welfare inspectors on patrol had never previously encountered such birds. "Shamos are rare and appeal to a certain type of person," said Aungier. "There are no more than 200 or 300 in Ireland, and most are kept by poultry fanciers, or hardcore cockfighting enthusiasts. But they've become a status symbol in certain parts of Dublin. They attract the sort of people who like to keep American pit bull terriers."
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The Dspca suspects that some keepers are purchasing the birds to use in cockfighting. Shamos are considered good fighters because of their size and powerful bone structure. Enthusiasts sometimes attach metal spurs to the birds' ankles to help them injure opponents.
"Cockfighting is new to Dublin," Aungier said. "Animal welfare groups would be aware of cockfighting rings operating in the Midlands, and around the border counties, but not in urban areas until recently.
"Now we're receiving reports of 'chicken fights' being held in gardens, traveller camps, and even in Dublin's inner city."
Keeping poultry has become more fashionable in general, but Asian fowl are not utility birds, Aungier points out.
"Shamo hens do not produce large amounts of eggs. They are being kept as status symbols because they look the part and are good at fighting. They are also expensive, which adds to their appeal among some working-class teenagers."
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Adult males cost between 200 to 300. Hens cost 100 depending on colour. More traditional breeds of fowl cost between 20 and 35 a pair.
Shamos are said to have emerged in Japan 250 years ago in a rural area north of Akita. The breed was introduced to Ireland and Britain in the early 1980s. The Dspca said there was no law which prohibited anyone from keeping the fowl in council estates.
Cockfighting is illegal under Irish law but only a handful of people have been prosecuted. Gardai rarely investigate the practice and animal welfare groups find it hard to infiltrate networks.