It seems birds getting caught in the towering 120-foot nets at Topgolf is becoming a common issue.
Animal rights advocates are expressing their outrage over the alleged negligence of the $1.1 billion company, saying that thousands of birds have suffered injuries or worse in the company’s nets over the past eight years.
In response, they are pursuing legal action.
Nora Marino, who is the president of the nonprofit Legal Action Network for Animals, sent a letter to Topgolf, demanding they take immediate steps to acquire equipment that would allow qualified wildlife rescuers to free the birds within a reasonable timeframe.
Marino pointed out that any situation where a bird is ensnared in the netting, resulting in suffering or injury, constitutes animal cruelty, which is illegal in New York state.
Topgolf operates 103 locations nationwide, including one in New York and three in New Jersey.
Barbara Walker, president of the Tampa Bay Raptor Rescue, remarked that if every location experiences a similar situation, the number of affected birds could exceed 4,120 over eight years, assuming an average of five birds caught per year per location.
This number could potentially increase significantly in the coming years.
Frank Floridia, president of the Strong Island Animal Rescue League, noted he received reports of hawks entangled in the Holtsville, Long Island Topgolf nets on two occasions just last month. He recounted how a customer saw a bird stuck and mentioned that patrons attempted to pry it free by blowing horns and throwing balls at it while the establishment continued its operations for hours.
Although Topgolf called for assistance from the police and fire department, they couldn’t reach the bird with their 100-foot ladders.
Ultimately, Floridia reported that the bird managed to free itself, but he wasn’t sure of its fate.
Just a week later, another call came in about another bird trapped in the same net.
In the second incident, Topgolf staff acted more swiftly to shut down the facility since they were aware that people were observing.
Walker, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, shared that she heard from a man at the St. Petersburg, Florida Topgolf, located near a nature preserve, who had evidence of eight vultures caught in the net, with videos showing the distress of the birds.
Walker stated that she discovered numerous reports and videos online depicting similar incidents. She mentioned cases where fire departments had to spray birds down with hoses and one instance involving a struggling bald eagle.
Despite inquiries from the media, Topgolf has not commented on the situation.
Walker mentioned there is inconsistency in how each Topgolf location handles the situation, as there’s no comprehensive protocol in place for dealing with these incidents.
Floridia emphasized that untrained personnel facing such complex rescues lack the necessary knowledge of the species and how to handle them properly.
Marino noted that cutting even a small part of the net might necessitate replacing the entire thing, making it more cost-effective for the company to forcibly remove a trapped bird, often resulting in injuries.
Even if a bird escapes without dying, the trauma and injuries inflicted while trapped constitute animal cruelty, according to Marino.
“The animal does not have to die for it to constitute animal cruelty,” she stated.
