Thousands of seabirds have mysteriously turned up dead after falling from the sky along an island in Crimea.
The Sun caught several images of the birds in rows decomposing along the Azov Sea beach, and there are fears of the new bird flu after the incident.
The website reported that at least 7,000 black-necked grebes, sea doves, and gulls died at the beach. Crimean Federal University official Grigory Prokopov said he was part of recording the large seabird death numbers.
In one video, a weak bird walks around in circles in part due to nervous system damage. Prokopov blames the bird deaths on a possible, new viral infection. He also said poison and the ecological situation could factor into the deaths.
The ecologist said, “the behavior of a bird I managed to observe (in the video) indicated it was clearly sick and died.”
Prokopov, however, deferred to veterinarians, saying they would have to make “the final conclusion” on the seabirds.
Polluted Area?
The area is a summer hotspot for Ukrainian tourists because of the warm Sea of Azov water. Hotels and guesthouses fill up, and the site is also a top spot for kites and windsurfing.
However, locals fear high pollution and mercury levels in the area contributed to the seabird deaths. Federal Centre for Animal Health officials keep that in mind while working on the location and bird examinations.
Crimean authorities are waiting on the results and have no comment on any suspected bird flu theories. The seabird land is on the disputed border between Russia and Ukraine.
Russia, U.S., World See Bird Deaths
German news broadcaster DW has picked up on scores of dead birds in the United States.
A mysterious bird illness is infecting their eyes and causing the birds to lose balance before dying. Bird experts have picked up on these illnesses since April. Some theories include the Brood-X cicada, but there’s no conclusive evidence of bird flu yet. The broadcaster said Fledglings, European Starlings, Bluejays, and others have died.
The outbreak has affected many bird species across the Midwest and in Indiana. The United States Geological Survey published a June report on the deaths, but research has not revealed any causes so far.
According to The Sun, Russian villagers in Ust-Tarka in the Novosibirsk Region also recently experienced dead birds. Many witnessed the birds falling to earth in front of them.
In Arkansas, a 2011 mass bird death occurrence also involved 100,000 fish. Worldwide death reports of turtledoves in Italy, Swedish jackdaws, English crabs, Los-Angeles area sardines, and Chesapeake Bay fish also caught the attention of apocalypse and conspiracy watchers.
The Conversation connected these deaths to many things, including secret government experiments, the shifting magnetic pole, or strange diseases caused by the toxic effects of human activities.
In the Ust-Tarka situation, poison from likely pesticides was a probable cause. Experts attributed the deaths to moldy grain or intentional poisoning.
