A hundred dead starlings between the cities of Salou and Tarragona in Catalonia. However, it was not a toxic cloud that killed them, but a speeding car
Un hundreds of dead starlings between the cities of Salou and Tarragona in Catalonia. An incredible massacre that had triggered a small detective story and the opening of an investigation. At first, in fact, many had thought that the suspicious deaths were linked to the presence of a petrochemical plant, actually as the cameras and biopsy results on some bodies show, the flocks were hit by a car.
Lying on the ground helpless. The deaths of dozens of starlings had created much concern. For this reason, some samples had been collected to be analyzed: it was necessary to investigate what had really caused this massacre that took place last Sunday on the C-31B between Salou and Tarragona, near the University of Labor of Tarragona. Right in the area there is the so-called petrochemical polygon, and that is why the first hypothesis was that of a death by toxic cloud. But as reported by El Pais, the rural agents immediately excluded him and the Civil Protection explained that they had no news that there had been chemical losses or accidents in the industrial area.
In relation to information that has appeared about dead birds that appeared today Sunday in Tarragona on the C-31B, @ 112 received a call after 17.00 pm from a person who reported that his partner had found many dead birds on the road .
— 112 (@112) February 16, 2020
The spot where the birds appeared is near the factory of the Iqoxe company, which it exploded last month, resulting in the deaths of three people and the injury of seven others. There is a judicial investigation into the chemical accident but the causes of the explosion remain unspecified. Returning to the massacre of starlings, another hypothesis was that the birds had been run over by a vehicle. Although this theory had not convinced Cristina Sánchez, delegate in Catalonia of the SEO-Birdlife entity who also explained in El Pais: "Although starlings fly together and at low altitude, which would make it easier to ram a truck or bus, I don't see shattered animals ”, things went exactly as these two videos posted on Twitter by local media show.
In this video the passage of the flocks:
Images confirming that the dead birds next to the #Tarragona petrochemical plant were run over. Images provided to @CatalunyaRadio of a security camera in the southern polygon. pic.twitter.com/G6LjJUQD9F
– CatInfo Tgn-Ebre (@Cati_Tarragona) February 18, 2020
In this video, the incident:
The hundreds of starlings that appeared dead in Tarragona were hit by a car.https://t.co/uSGwVV5hdB pic.twitter.com/GOEWGCUJyz
– RTVE News (@rtvenoticias) February 19, 2020
The terrible accident cost the lives of about a hundred flocks. The hypothesis of death had still been made pesticide poisoning. Especially since in Badalona, 200 kilometers from Tarragona, a similar episode had occurred: XNUMX dead pigeons in different parts of the city.
⚠️ Birds killed today on the motorway between Salou and Tarragona, near the southern petrochemical estate, with witnesses also talking about strong odors.?☠️? If you have any verified information, write to us at defensambiental@gepec.cat. Thanks!
?: Unknown author pic.twitter.com/RZuVo8NfR3
- GEPEC-EdC (@gepecedc) February 16, 2020
Yet another hypothesis was reported in El Periodico and was that the birds were electrocuted. In 2002 there was a similar episode in the same place and always with starlings. The rural agents had confirmed that the high-voltage tower closest to the events is exactly the same that had caused the electrocution of the starlings on that occasion. But now the mystery is solved.
A similar episode took place in Rome, where the fall of a tree due to the strong wind had in turn caused hundreds of birds to fall onto the asphalt, many of which died. In fact, the deaths were caused by the cars, which had hit the stunned animals left on the roadway.
Fonti: The Country, The Newspaper
Read also:
- Hundreds of birds found dead on Sydney's beaches and it's our own fault
- Massacre of swifts, electrocuted deaths: they return from migration, but find the electric barriers in a church in Jesi
- Walled birds alive, mum starling waits in vain to return to her nest
