New breeding club, new opportunities

At the beginning of November 2026, the ceremonial opening of a new breeding club focused on the breeding of Harris's hawks took place at the Remand prison and prison Nitra, which was established as part of the institution's environmentally oriented activities. The event was held in the spirit of modern approaches to the care and utilization of these birds of prey.

In addition to developing the professional skills of sentenced prisoners and supporting ecological solutions related to the occurrence of the pigeon population in the prison premises, the club will also bring the benefits of aves therapy (a form of animal-assisted therapy that uses birds of prey), and will thus have a positive impact on the emotional development of sentenced prisoners. Hawks, as natural predators of pigeons, play a significant role in the biological protection of facilities, which represents an environmentally friendly alternative to technical and chemical methods. The goal is to gradually reduce the pigeon population in the Nitra prison area, thereby reducing pollution and the risk of disease transmission, while respecting safety and health protection principles.

In the presence of the Nitra prison management, the event was also attended by the Director General of the Corps of Prison and Court Guard Col. Ing. Jozef Lančarič, who appreciated the initiative of the Nitra prison officers and emphasized the importance of environmentally responsible solutions in state institutions.

Part of the program was a demonstration of work with birds of prey, which was performed by sentenced men who are members of the breeding club. They were trained by professional falconer Mgr. Pavol Michal, director of the Primary School with Kindergarten of Maximilián Hell in Štiavnické Bane, with whom the Nitra prison has established cooperation. Those present saw the practical use of hawks as an effective method of bird population regulation. Biological protection is effective especially in combination with consistent prevention and respect for natural ecological relationships.

This breeding club thus represents a combination of professional training, an ecological approach, and for the Nitra prison, also a new experience in the care of birds of prey.

We believe that the positive aspects will manifest in the improvement of the quality of the Nitra prison environment in the near future.