Hikers did not know what they saw when they saw trees wrapped with adhesive foil in the Herperduin Nature Reserve on Monday. The foil contained birds that were either already dead or fighting for their lives. Most of the birds did not survive: only four blue tits were saved by the hikers. “This is a very exceptional report. We have never seen anything like this,” says the Animal Protection Agency.
The four surviving blue tits were taken by the Maasland Animal Ambulance to the De Ruwaard Animal Clinic for a check-up. “Fortunately, they had no other injuries and were taken to the Animal Ambulance Nijmegen where they are lovingly cared for,” the Animal Ambulance said on Facebook.
The trees wrapped in adhesive foil mainly seems like a strange, bizarre and wanton action. Or is the foil intended to combat pests such as the oak processionary caterpillar? But it’s quite early in the year for that; the oak processionary caterpillar is only common in the months of May, June and July.
Glue boards
“We can only guess what this is for. We have heard of glue boards, which are prohibited, to which mice or birds get stuck, but we are seeing this variant for the first time,” says a spokesperson for the Animal Protection Society.
“Disgusting,” says the Maasland Animal Ambulance and has therefore reported it to Hotline 144, because this ‘must not go unpunished’. “Why on earth would you do something like that? We really don’t understand it.”