Some people love going all out for Halloween, draping their homes in fake blood and putting creepy skeletons in their gardens.
However Maria Kincaid, head ornithologist at FeatherSnap, has urged people to avoid using a popular decoration this Halloween as it can cause harm to wildlife, while also adding to the plastic waste crisis.
The expert is pleading with people to avoid using fake cobwebs in their gardens because it can entangle and harm birds, especially smaller species like robins and wrens.
Speaking to the Express, Maria said: ‘Once they get stuck, it’s really difficult for them to escape. The clingy nature of these webs makes it easy for their wings to get caught, leading to exhaustion, injury, or worse.’
She also warned that insects can also get caught in the cobwebs which can deprive birds of a food source in the winter months.
Maria Kincaid, head ornithologist at FeatherSnap, has urged people to avoid using a popular decoration this Halloween as it can cause harm to wildlife, while also adding to the plastic waste crisis
The ornithologist added that fake cobwebs are also made of plastic and often end up in landfills, contributing to excessive waste.
She added: ‘Many people buy Halloween decorations like cobwebs every year instead of reusing them, leading to excessive plastic waste in landfills, which is terrible for the environment.
‘Due to their lightness, these decorations can easily be blown away, littering local areas.’
Meanwhile animal welfare organisation Four Paws has urged pet owners that spooky season could be stressful for our furry friends.
Meanwhile animal welfare organisation Four Paws has urged pet owners that spooky season could be stressful for our furry friends
To make the day less scary and harmful for dogs and cats the organisation asked people to consider walking your dog earlier in the day.
They also urged people to keep their pets in a secluded room when strangers call to the door and avoid harmful accessories and costumes for our four-legged friends.
Taking to their website they said: ‘Once it gets dark on Halloween, little witches and vampires roam the streets. To avoid the crowds of people, you should plan your walk with the dog during the daytime.
‘This way you avoid uncomfortable meetings where your dog might react differently than usual due to the costumed people. Your cats roaming should also be restricted to the daytime and kept indoors once the sun goes down.’
The brand pointed out that animals, dogs especially, communicate with their ears and tails therefore they should not be restricted by costumes.
They wrote: ‘If these means of communication are concealed by costumes, our companions are deprived of any possibility of species-appropriate communication.’
