Dozens of
birds have been found dead or injured in New Zealand with Christmas decorations
tied around their necks and wings.
Sparrows
and pigeons have been reported with "decorative trinkets" tied to
them in Wellington.
Some of
them died of starvation as they are unable to fly and find food, according to
the SPCA.
Although
there have been similar incidents since 2015, there has been a spike in
sightings in recent weeks.
Authorities
believe the birds are being deliberately "decorated" as the tinsel
and bows are tightly and carefully attached, the New
Zealand Herald reported.
"Many
try to pry the foreign objects off their bodies with their beaks and feet,
becoming further entangled and preventing them from eating, drinking and
flying. With others, the decorations are wrapped so tightly it completely cuts
off their blood circulation.
"Those
that do survive and arrive at our centre are always in a very bad state, and
are so malnourished and distressed that we have had to humanely euthanise
them," SPCA spokesperson Paige Janssen said in an email to the BBC.
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