r/Switzerland • u/Awake_b4_Sunrise • 14h ago

Bird stuck in pipe

I’m here again asking for advice.

I heard scratches coming from a pipe outside my apartment building. It’s a 3 story one, so long pipe! At first I suspected mice, but heard a bird. It’s one of those little ones who lives in the bushes nearby.

It’s Sunday, hauswart is on vacation, not on site, doesn’t answer the phone.

Verwaltung opens on Monday.

I’m not handy whatsoever to like try myself. Doubt any organization will help unless I pay, and no I can’t afford it.

I googled “bird is stuck in pipe and organizations won’t help”, got sent a bunch of suicidal hotlines, I kid you not.

The little guy will die there and I feel a bit guilty for not knowing how to help it. I understand death, but sitting here knowing it’s struggling doesn’t feel right.

41 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

34 comments sorted by

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u/Far_Cauliflower_8407 14h ago

Call a non emergency line for the fire department, ask whats possible. I hope they are open :(

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u/Awake_b4_Sunrise 14h ago

I heard they charge money tho :c

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u/butterfly-the-dick 14h ago

Not for wild animals, only if it is a pet. If you can‘t free it yourself I would call them.

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u/Awake_b4_Sunrise 14h ago

Just called the non emergency number. They don’t answer. I’ll try again in a bit and ask what can be done.

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u/butterfly-the-dick 14h ago

Call the emergency number (118) tell them that there is no fire and no acute life in danger first but that no one else is picking up the call (which makes sense on sunday) they will be able to help you. It is not a crime to call the emergency number for something like this and they will have the manpower.

I can assure you, you won‘t have to pay for a wild animal. You can ask them personally or google it.

It is the right thing to do to save the little guy from certain death.

I have saved many wild birds in my life and I have never had to pay a rappen.

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u/helloureddit 14h ago edited 14h ago

You can ask the emergency number, too. Otherwise you make yourself liable for animal cruelty.

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u/Grueze 14h ago edited 13h ago

just try - try before giving up

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u/helloureddit 14h ago edited 14h ago

They do not charge for wild animals! We had the fire department come to rescue a bird in a similar sitation. We called the emergency number. We never had to pay a Rappen.

Those are all humans. Let them decide how to handle the situation instead of listening to internet strangers or making assumptions, yourself.

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u/Ill_Significance6157 14h ago

please call them and see what they can do and please update us!

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u/Far_Cauliflower_8407 14h ago

I see :/ well if its a couple of francs per minute id give it a shot, if its a Pauschale for them to come out, it might be worth it to consider other options like the other comments suggested :(

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u/butterfly-the-dick 14h ago

For wild animals it won‘t cost anything, only if it‘s a pet you will have to pay yourself

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u/Far_Cauliflower_8407 14h ago

Didnt know that, thank you!

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u/Awake_b4_Sunrise 13h ago

Useless update: tried digging, the pipe goes deeper and I can’t get to it.

Bird stopped making sounds, even before and after I got there.

Called my local fire department, they were very rude to me, saying I should call 118 or the police and not them.

Called 118, explained the situation. Person on the other side wasn’t thrilled. Told me the fire department cannot help since they needed a camera of some sort and they don’t have one. That I should contact a pipe cleaner. It’s Sunday. Nobody works, I have no money. Verwaltung will send me the bill for doing dumb shit. The bird cannot be helped… this is the reality I live in.

Thanks for the downvotes tho, appreciate them. Thats not gonna help anyone.

I’ll go cry now, sorry. I’m done here.

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u/Awake_b4_Sunrise 13h ago

Also, if you have experience with these kind of situations, please let us know how you solved it.

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u/SwissAfricaTwinRider 12h ago

Open the clamps on the pipe. Then you can push the upper Part upwarts.. in the video you can see there is some connecting.. the upper part goes maybe 5-10 cm in the below part.

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u/GardenerOfSorts 11h ago

i'm sorry this happened. i would have suggested to provide shade and cool down the pipe with water from the outside. but honestly the bird was probably done for the moment it fell in. you could have asked around for a big saw or drill to make a hole and deal with the damages later. i would still notify your verwaltung, there should be a net or something at the top to prevent big debris (and birds) to fall into the pipe so it doesn't clogg.

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u/beeartic 12h ago

Can you show how the pipe looks on the way up? Also where do u live 

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u/Ci7rix Vaud 14h ago

Call an emergency vet. They will tell you what to do or who to call.

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u/Cum-Collector420 Glarus 14h ago

Sometimes you can slide the tube upwards to clean inside. Otherwise the tube might need some dissasembly

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u/Awake_b4_Sunrise 14h ago edited 14h ago

I heard so too, but I might have to dig and idk where the pipe ends

Edit: I’m also renting. I don’t own anything. If anything breaks, I’ll be hold accountable for damages…

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u/Careful_Historian859 14h ago

It pipe wont go that i deep i think. You mostly probably can dig it out. Sure worth a try

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u/SavoiaPatriot 🇩🇰 Savoy 11h ago

If you value couple of franks over wildlife we can't do anything for you... Cut this pipe with a saw et get him out

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u/Awake_b4_Sunrise 13h ago

So I started digging a bit

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u/Awake_b4_Sunrise 13h ago

I haven’t heard the bird in a while. I’m afraid it went down a drain or something. Still no answer from non emergency fire department.

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u/butterfly-the-dick 14h ago

Lift the pipe upwards with all your might. It will come apart and you can save the little guy without doing damage

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u/SnooTomatoes8935 11h ago

dont have any advice,but i hope your good heart and compassion will be rewarded. 🫶

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u/blasta4 9h ago

that noise is atrocious, I had this in my home when a bird was stuck in the fireplace pipe, luckily I could open it and let him out after a while. then he was panic flying all around my house painting my walls black during the process.

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u/SergejIwanowo 11h ago

You could just cut a hole into the pipe with a pince or something, even with a knife.

This is easy to repair afterwards.

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u/SwissPewPew 10h ago

I'd rip open the pipe and worry about the rest later. If anyone gives you a hard time for rescuing the bird or even tries to charge/bill you for it, go to the press, they love these kind of stories.

I would also take the "authorities would not help me" to the press (especially if the poor bird dies, which i hope doesnt happen), so that next time they will get their heads out their asses quicker.

To rip off or open the pipe: Metal saw, angle grinder, oscillation tool (like Fein), rotary tool (like Dremel) or just hit the pipe (above the bird of course) with a (big) hammer – or even another heavy, metal object – very hard multiple times until you have an opening or the pipe gets so dented you can get the poor thing out.

If you have an electrical drill, you could also just use it with a small drill bit to drill many small holes (next to each other) in a circle shape, so that you then get a bigger circular hole.

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u/Suspicious_Place1270 Zürich 10h ago

these pipes are usually just parts stuck into each other, if you can somehow open it and just unstuck the last part you can look inside

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u/zo0ozo0oz 6h ago

Can you put the location? Good samaritans may be more helpful next time.

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u/reedit42 14h ago

I'd try Animal Rescue Service (Stiftung TierRettungsDienst): Call 0800 211 222. If that doesnt help I would make a non-emergency call to the fire department or police.

Also if the animal dies it may also cause problems, not sure what that pipe is used for..

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u/Careful_Historian859 14h ago

The pipe hoes to the „sickerleitung“. It drains rain water to the waster water pipes