Hundreds of small cockatoos dead in suspected mass poisoning in Australia
Hundreds of corellas have been discovered either dead or in critical state in New South Wales, Australia, in what's suspected to be a mass poisoning event.
The New South Wales Environment Protection Authority said they launched an investigation and started collecting samples from Newcastle, Carrington and Hamilton areas after distressed birds were seen falling out of trees on Monday.
Many birds were found disoriented, bleeding, or in distress, with over 60 euthanized by a local vet. They were found in parks, shopping centres, on ovals and in front yards.
There are fears that more birds may be affected in the coming days.
Corellas, a kind of white cockatoo, often come in conflict with farmers as they cause significant damage to farms, orchards, and sometimes even buildings.
Jason Gordon, the Environment Protection Authority's executive director of regulatory operations, described the situation as 'distressing' and said the corellas also suffered from paralysis and an inability to fly.
'The misuse of pesticides, whether deliberate or unintentional, is completely unacceptable and carries heavy penalties,' he said.
Hunter Wildlife Rescue said that the incident was likely the result of poisoning. 'They are all over the neighbourhood. We are getting calls from members of the public who are finding them in their front yards, they are being found on ovals,' the rescue organisation's head, Kate Randolph, said. 'Everyone's working together. It's a heartbreaking situation.'
Dr Tania Bishop, a vet with Australia 's largest wildlife rescue organisation Wires also said that mass poisoning was a likely explanation. However, she told the Guardian that toxicology results identifying potential poisons could take weeks.
'Testing will include ruling out bird flu and inspecting impacted locations for evidence of potential pesticide misuse,' the Environment Protection Authority said.
'We're also contacting several vets across the Newcastle area to confirm the numbers of sick and dead birds, and where exactly they've been found.'
A practitioner at the Hamilton Veterinary Clinic told the Newcastle Herald he had never seen anything like this in his 13 years there.
'They are in agony,' he said. 'They spread their wings and look at you as if to say help me. It's absolutely horrible.'
The incident has caused outrage in the community. 'This is absolutely disgusting! These creatures are our Native Australian birds and have as much right as we do to this earth! We are here to protect them,' one resident posted on Facebook. 'I hope the perpetrators are caught and held accountable and rot!'
Another wrote: 'What sick human would do this.'
'This is just too sad,' said another. 'What is wrong with some people. These are living breathing animals. We share, not own this planet.'
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported in 2023 that farmers in Victoria were using eagles and falcons to deter corellas and other nuisance birds in a humane, non-lethal way to protect their crops. The trained raptors would fly over the affected areas, scaring the corellas without attacking them.
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The Independent
18-03-2025
- The Independent
Hundreds of small cockatoos dead in suspected mass poisoning in Australia
Hundreds of corellas have been discovered either dead or in critical state in New South Wales, Australia, in what's suspected to be a mass poisoning event. The New South Wales Environment Protection Authority said they launched an investigation and started collecting samples from Newcastle, Carrington and Hamilton areas after distressed birds were seen falling out of trees on Monday. Many birds were found disoriented, bleeding, or in distress, with over 60 euthanized by a local vet. They were found in parks, shopping centres, on ovals and in front yards. There are fears that more birds may be affected in the coming days. Corellas, a kind of white cockatoo, often come in conflict with farmers as they cause significant damage to farms, orchards, and sometimes even buildings. Jason Gordon, the Environment Protection Authority's executive director of regulatory operations, described the situation as 'distressing' and said the corellas also suffered from paralysis and an inability to fly. 'The misuse of pesticides, whether deliberate or unintentional, is completely unacceptable and carries heavy penalties,' he said. Hunter Wildlife Rescue said that the incident was likely the result of poisoning. 'They are all over the neighbourhood. We are getting calls from members of the public who are finding them in their front yards, they are being found on ovals,' the rescue organisation's head, Kate Randolph, said. 'Everyone's working together. It's a heartbreaking situation.' Dr Tania Bishop, a vet with Australia 's largest wildlife rescue organisation Wires also said that mass poisoning was a likely explanation. However, she told the Guardian that toxicology results identifying potential poisons could take weeks. 'Testing will include ruling out bird flu and inspecting impacted locations for evidence of potential pesticide misuse,' the Environment Protection Authority said. 'We're also contacting several vets across the Newcastle area to confirm the numbers of sick and dead birds, and where exactly they've been found.' A practitioner at the Hamilton Veterinary Clinic told the Newcastle Herald he had never seen anything like this in his 13 years there. 'They are in agony,' he said. 'They spread their wings and look at you as if to say help me. It's absolutely horrible.' The incident has caused outrage in the community. 'This is absolutely disgusting! These creatures are our Native Australian birds and have as much right as we do to this earth! We are here to protect them,' one resident posted on Facebook. 'I hope the perpetrators are caught and held accountable and rot!' Another wrote: 'What sick human would do this.' 'This is just too sad,' said another. 'What is wrong with some people. These are living breathing animals. We share, not own this planet.' The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported in 2023 that farmers in Victoria were using eagles and falcons to deter corellas and other nuisance birds in a humane, non-lethal way to protect their crops. The trained raptors would fly over the affected areas, scaring the corellas without attacking them.
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