Cacophony Marks Iraq Animal Market

The weekly animal market is one of the most popular places in Baghdad, a cacophony of trilling songbirds, barking dogs and bleating goats, where the mundane mixes with the exotic.

The souk il-hayawanat, as it’s known, unfolds every Friday morning outside the Mosque of the Caliphs, across the street from the main bazaar.

Six months after the cease-fire in its eight-year war with Iran, Iraq doesn’t have the hard currency needed to pay for the imported videocassette recorders and tape decks that are found elsewhere in the Arab world. Those that are available generally are out of the reach of most people, and many stores are empty.

Looking for a Bargain

But the 300-yard stretch of sidewalk where the animal bazaar is held throngs with Iraqis looking for a bargain in pets, a watchdog or a goat to provide milk.

Like other bazaars, this one is divided by specialty, with carrier pigeons taking up the most space. Buyers squeeze the neck, splay the feet, unfurl the wings and look in the eyes for any signs of sickness.

One customer, Najib, 35, says it’s all in the nose.

“I must have (one with) a big nose,” he said. “That means it’s a strong bird. If you see a big nose, that’s the best bird.”

He was looking for a carrier pigeon to cover the 255 miles between Baghdad and the southern port of Basra. A good one can cost about $90.

Myriad Birds, Fish

But there also are nightingales, parakeets, turkeys, geese, roosters, chicks, parrots, exotic marsh birds, falcons, ducks, finches and goldfish.

One section is taken up with dozens of vendors selling little aquarium fish swimming in glass jars stacked on benches.

In the midst of the menagerie, there is all the paraphernalia needed to care for the animals: massive bird cages, mounds of seed and fish tanks.

The crowd attracts other hawkers selling sesame cakes, hearts of palm and even lucky stones.

The people inevitably spill into the traffic swirling past just feet away. Some cars slow while their occupants gawk at the animals.

A policeman adds his bullhorn to the din as he prods traffic and pedestrians to keep moving.

Occasionally, someone weaving through the cars with a seven-foot bird cage on his shoulders will bring traffic to a screeching halt.

Not Most Expensive at $250

Some customers come to buy white fantailed pigeons to decorate the garden at about $250. But even these are not the most expensive birds on sale.

A pair of white parrots with yellow crests from the Soviet Union drew a huge crowd with their ability to say “Papa, Kaka and Yacouv,” apparently the names of their owners. The asking price was a hefty $750.

As the crowd reached its thickest around noon, the inevitable accidents occurred. Birds were trampled underfoot or someone holding one was jostled and the bird flew free.

One parakeet escaped and lodged on the gates of the mosque. Orange peels lobbed at it failed to budge it. Even the amplified noon prayer booming from loudspeakers in the ancient minaret barely ruffled a feather.

“Forget it,” said someone in the crowd. “It’s gone to pray.”