Hundreds of birds have been found dead on the streets of the Italian capital, Rome, with some animal rights campaign groups saying that it was fireworks set off to celebrate the new year that caused the birds to die. The International Organization for the Protection of Animals (OIPA) even went as far as to say that the deaths of the birds were 'massacre'.
The birds, mainly starlings, were found strewn across the roads and pavements next to Rome's main railway station. It is in this relatively prosperous neighbourhood of the city that the birds particularly like to make their nests and roost at night.
Despite a ban in Rome for personal firework displays and a 10 pm curfew in place to stop the spread of Covid-19, a large number of very loud and powerful fireworks were set off in the area as the city marked its entry into 2021. Animal rights campaigners say that these loud explosions caused such fear in the animals that they died from the shock.
Loredana Diglio, of OIPA, said:
"It can be that they died from fear. They can fly up together and knock against each other, or hit windows or electric power lines. Let's not forget they can also die of heart attacks."
In a video of the scene, an individual can be heard saying in Italian:
"This is the disgusting side of human nature. The fireworks. Hundreds of dead birds. Unbelievable. Look how many there are."
Despite the claims that fireworks were most certainly to blame, some organisations have said that it would be highly unusual if the fireworks were actually to blame. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) released a statement following reports of the deaths saying:
"There is little evidence to suggest that fireworks harm wild birds or affect their conservation status… To minimise any adverse impact of fireworks on birds, we urge organisers of firework displays to avoid launching the rockets near to sensitive wildlife areas, such as nature reserves, and nesting and roosting sites for wild birds."
The RSPB go on to say that the effect of a firework display on birds would be no different to that of a violent thunderstorm.
If fireworks were not to blame for the birds' deaths, then it will be imperative for Italian authorities to investigate what was, in fact, the cause of the mass die off in order to prevent further such incidents occurring again.
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