Threat to Birds Continues
Image from PublicDomainPictures at Pixabay
It hasn’t gone away… the horrible saga of bird flu goes on, with more confirmed deaths this July – and it’s not just the birds. Some porpoises and seals recently washed up on Pembrokeshire beaches are being investigated amid fears around cross-contamination between species.
Apparently guillemots are the birds worst affected, but other breeds are also being reported as victims, and a multi-agency action team has been created, involving Pembrokeshire County Council, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, National Trust Cymru, Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales and the Welsh Government.
Another concern with regard to cross-contamination has been raised around foxes and dogs, and we are all being urged to keep dogs on leads. We are also told that if we find any dead or sick birds that we should not handle them.
Reporting where we do find them is helpful to the authorities, and we are urged to record their location. The potential threat is being taken seriously, and reports of dead birds can be made to Pembrokeshire County Council on 01437 764551 (or out of hours 0345 601 5522) to arrange collection.
Injured or obviously sick birds can be reported to the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999.
Dead birds on private land should be reported to the council on the numbers above, and the removal of dead birds should be reported to DEFRA on 03459 33 55 77.
