Hygiene masks are becoming a danger to wildlife
Discarded hygiene masks are turning into deadly traps for wildlife. Birds, hedgehogs, and marine animals become entangled in the elastic bands.
The international animal welfare organisation «Four Paws» is calling on people to dispose of hygiene masks properly.
Masks left lying on pavements, in pedestrian zones, in parks, and in forests pose a danger to many wild animals.
«Litter can become a very serious problem for wildlife,» said Dominik del Castillo of «Four Paws» Switzerland, as quoted in a statement released on Monday. When masks are hidden under leaves or caught in branches and twigs, they can become hazardous to wild animals. Birds and hedgehogs can become tangled in the elastic bands of masks, get stuck, and injure themselves or even perish.
Mask litter can also pose a danger to larger animals. Wild boars, foxes, and even dogs could accidentally eat discarded face masks, «Four Paws» warned. When out in the forest, people should store their mask securely so as not to accidentally cause litter. «It may sound dramatic, but a properly stored or correctly disposed-of mask can save animal lives!» Del Castillo noted.
But masks are not the only hazard for wildlife. According to «Four Paws», litter can affect the quality of life of every animal species. The major environmental offender, plastic, enters our food chain through waterways and can travel via Swiss rivers into the sea, threatening countless animal species along the way to the oceans.
According to «Four Paws», plastic as well as aluminium cans can end up in the feed of livestock on meadows through mechanical shredding by machinery, leading to health problems and even death. Wildlife, too, can mistake plastic for food — particularly packaging that smells of something edible.
According to «Four Paws», measures against littering are also the responsibility of authorities and politicians. The organization calls on the public in particular to think about the consequences that a carelessly discarded mask can have. The same applies to cigarette butts, which are even harder to remove from meadows and roadsides and are also extremely toxic.
«We call on the public to treat our environment with consideration and responsibility,» wrote «Four Paws». People should take their rubbish home, recycle it, or dispose of it in a bin.
