Hundreds of birds found dead in Rome, feared being killed by fireworks despite ban

Hundreds of dead birds were found dead, covering a street in the city of Rome on New Year’s eve as some animal rights activists have claimed that the fireworks had scared them to death.

A video, posted by a user on YouTube, showed the bodies of the birds lying on a street and the walkways outside the Roma Termini train station, which is the main station in the city. This comes even after a ban on fireworks on New Year’s eve, which was imposed in Rome in view of protecting people, animals, and heritage sites, that was mostly ignored, reported The Sun. 

“This is the disgusting side of human nature. The fireworks. Hundreds of dead birds. Unbelievable. Look how many there are,” the person, filming the video, said, The Sun quote. 

The reason for deaths is not yet known, according to the International Organisation for the Protection of Animals, firecrackers and fireworks were let off in a nearby area that is used by birds to roost. 

“It can be that they died from fear,” a spokeswoman of the organisation said, reported The Sun. She also said that there is a possibility of the birds, who are mostly thought to have been starlings, dying from heart attacks.

The organisation described the incident as a “massacre,” reported the Associated Press. 

However, there is “little evidence to suggest that fireworks harm wild birds or affect their conservation status,” another organisation, The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, said, The Sun reported.