Little Corellas, or short-billed corellas, are playful birds. Extremely social, members of this white cockatoo subspecies love to spend time with members of their flocks, even to the point of mischievousness. According to one volunteer with the Australian group Hunter Wildlife Rescue, “They love to play around all the boats at the marina, and they’ll perch on the masts and play with all the gear. They’re very loud and raucous.”<\/p>\n
Or, they were. Until hundreds of them started showing up dead in New South Wales, Australia. The likely culprit? Mass pesticide use.<\/p>\n
Sign the petition to demand that the Australian government protect wildlife and crack down on illegal pesticide use!<\/p>\n
Upwards of 200 adorable little corella birds were found dead, often lying on their backs on the grass in neighborhoods. Experts are linking this mass death to poisoning from pesticides, but no one knows which pesticides were used or where exactly.<\/p>\n
According to the Environmental Protection Authority of New South Wales, pesticide misuse is illegal. Its Executive Director reminded the public that “The misuse of pesticides, whether deliberate or unintentional, is completely unacceptable and carries heavy penalties,” including fees of up to $2 million for corporations or $500,000 for individuals.<\/p>\n
Australia is one of the most biodiverse countries in the entire world. Approximately 46% of the birds and 69% of the mammals in Australia only live there – nowhere else. Upwards of 1.75 million animal, plant, and microorganism species can be found there. So it’s imperative that authorities act quickly to protect other populations from possible pesticide poisoning!<\/p>\n
Luckily, government officials are investigating these mass deaths. But we have to make sure they keep going until they find out who is responsible and hold them accountable. Sign the petition to demand that the Australian government identify the culprit(s) behind the mass poisoning of sweet little corella birds!<\/p>\n