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Hundreds of birds died after many people set off fireworks in the Italian capital on New Year’s Eve, according to animal rights groups that described the incident as a “massacre.”
Video from streets near Rome’s main train station showed dozens and dozens of dead birds, mostly starlings, scattered on the ground.
The cause of death is unclear, but the International Organization for the Protection of Animals said it appeared to be linked to the loud fireworks that go off in wooded neighborhoods that the birds use for their nests.
“They could have died out of fear,” said Lordana Deglio, a spokeswoman for the organization. “They can fly together and get lost in each other or get lost in windows or power lines.”
Every year, fireworks cause distress and death in the world of wild and companion animals, he explains.
The unusual increase in the number of bird deaths comes despite the city of Rome’s ban on personal fireworks displays, which has been largely ignored, and despite the curfew imposed due to the Corona virus, which it starts at ten o’clock at night.
The Italian branch of the organization had called for a ban on the sale of fireworks for personal use, indicating their threat to animals.
