CHELSEA SES members didn’t hesitate last week to come to the rescue of birds in distress – the feathered kind that is.
After a call came in to help two distressed birds stuck in a downpipe, the men jumped into action and a rescue plan was devised; remove the pop rivets and release the feathered friends from their prison. Unfortunately, the SES volunteers didn’t know the species of bird until the Indian mynas flew out to the joy of distressed parents waiting nearby.
The introduced species is widely considered an invasive pest and some councils around the country have endorsed trapping programs.
However, RSPCA Australia says there is no general agreement about the need for culling.
“We believe that — based on current knowledge about the impact and preferred habitat of common mynas — trapping and killing by community groups should not be encouraged,” the RSPCA website states.
“Rather, in agreement with a number of experts on this issue, efforts to enhance bird diversity in urbanised areas would be better directed to improving the quality of natural habitat.”
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 16 November 2016