“Waste can become a very big problem for wild animals,” Dominik del Castillo of “Four Paws” Switzerland quoted in a statement on Monday. If masks were left under leaves or hung on branches and twigs, they could pose a problem for wildlife. Birds and hedgehogs could get tangled in the rubber bands of masks, get caught and injure themselves or even die.
The mask waste can also be dangerous for larger animals. Wild boar, foxes, but also dogs could accidentally eat protective masks lying around, wrote “Four Paws”. If you are out and about in the forest, you should stow the mask well so that you do not accidentally cause any waste. “It may sound dramatic, but a properly stored or properly disposed mask can save animal lives!” Del Castillo stated.
But not only masks can be dangerous for wild animals. According to “Four Paws”, waste can affect the quality of life of any animal species. The major environmental polluter plastic gets into our food chain via the water and it can also get into the sea via Swiss waters and threaten many animal species on its way into the oceans.
According to “Four Paws”, plastic and aluminum cans can end up in the food of livestock on meadows due to mechanical reduction by machines and lead to health problems and even death. Wild animals can therefore also confuse plastic with food, especially packaging that smells like food.
According to “Four Paws”, measures against littering are also the responsibility of authorities and politicians. Above all, the association calls on the population to think about the consequences that a carelessly thrown away mask can have. The same applies to cigarette butts, which are even more difficult to remove from meadows and roadsides and are extremely poisonous.
“We call on the population to treat our environment with consideration and responsibility,” wrote “Four Paws”. You should take your rubbish home with you, recycle it or dispose of it in the bin.