Mass poisoning fears after 'horrendous' discovery in front of suburban shopping centre
The bodies of more than 200 corellas, a type of native cockatoo, were collected from gutters and footpaths at the shopping centre on the corner of Springvale and Athol Roads in Springvale, Melbourne.
Michelle Phillips, who has rescued and cared for wildlife for over 25 years, told Yahoo News she feared she'll have nightmares. 'I've done lots of horrible rescues, but this is the worst,' the South Oakleigh Wildlife Shelter founder said.
Birds were documented bleeding from the mouth, eyes and nostrils, leading first responders to believe they'd consumed rat bait.
Birds are regularly fed in the area, luring large disruptive flocks to the shopping strip. But rescuers are suspicious that several bags full of seed and bread dumped on Friday and Saturday nights could be linked to the massive mortality event, and samples have been collected for testing.
'Nobody rang it in on Saturday, the cleaners just cleaned it up. Then someone rang it in on Sunday, and when I arrived, [they] were dead everywhere,' Michelle said.
The falling birds created chaos on the streets, and rescuers were concerned someone would get run over as cars tried to avoid hitting them, and rubberneckers tried to get a closer look at the spectacle.
'People were stopping and taking photos. Birds were dropping everywhere in front of cars and getting run over,' Michelle added.
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Pictures supplied to Yahoo News show the bodies of dozens of corellas and several pigeons collected by volunteer rescuers.
'It was gruesome. It was heartbreaking. We try and save these animals, and it seems like some bastard is trying to kill them deliberately,' she said.
'It was horrendous. We walked the streets, because they were just dropping on top of people's houses. There was more in a nearby school which we couldn't get, it's school holidays luckily, or kids would have turned up and found them on Monday.
Suspicious mass poisonings of corellas and other cockatoo species have frequently been documented around Australia, particularly around farms in South Australia and suburban NSW.
In March, after around 200 corellas suddenly died in Newcastle, testing by the NSW EPA found evidence it was caused by Fenitrothion, a common agricultural insecticide.
In Victoria, it is illegal to kill native wildlife without a permit from the Department of Environment (DEECA). The agency describes cockatoos as 'highly intelligent' and recommends scaring combined with shooting as a means of control. Poisoning any cockatoo species is illegal in Victoria.
It's understood eight corellas were taken to Healesville Sanctuary for assessment, and Yahoo is seeking clarification as to whether any survived.
RSPCA Victoria confirmed it is aware of the incident, and because it involves native wildlife, it has been referred to DEECA. It has been contacted for comment.
On Monday morning, Michelle collected the bodies of 13 more birds. She remains at the scene, ready to help as birds continue to die.
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