Over the May long weekend, it was crazy around our neighbourhood with the fireworks. Then little by little we heard it just as bad in other neighbourhoods across the GTA. The fireworks went on night after night, starting hours before dark (which makes no sense) and going well on through the night. 3 AM Sunday was probably the latest for us.
After the weekend, more stories of how ridiculous things were with people and fireworks came out. I had no idea how awful it was going to turn out be... for the animals, specifically nesting birds.
First news was the destruction at Colonel Samuel Smith Park in Etobicoke. You can read about it here...
https://www.blogto.com/city/2021/05/home-nesting-birds-toronto-park-destroyed-fireworks/
And then this came up days after that.
Devastating. Deliberate. Horrible. Just beyond thinking to anyone with any compassion towards wildlife. How anyone thought this was something fun to do?!?!
As some of you know I monitor over 40 nest boxes near our west Toronto home. Reading these stories tugs on my heartstrings a little more than others. The photo below is one of my most favourite photos I have taken of my tree swallow visitors. The box is nick named "old reliable" as despite the condition it was in for the last 3 years it stood, it produced 19 young swallows overall... and all successfully fledged.
Looking at this bird's face, I am overwhelmed with sadness, thinking about how many of his kind were effected by these idiots and their fireworks.
I doubt anyone will be caught, or charged. I just hope it doesn't happen again.
I keep the locations of the boxes I look after rather quiet. An overprotective "landlord" I am. I've had some people mess with a few boxes, be it some stupid writing with a marker, or filling a few with bird seed. Annoyances. I know people could do worse but never ever EVER could I imagine someone would consider putting fireworks inside a nest box and blowing the shit out of it.
There has been a lot of discussion about fireworks on social media the last week. Those in favour and those against. I've been neutral for many years as long as people were responsible with them and respectful towards others, both human and animal. Now all I can say is that if ever a vote, or even a poll, came along about the use of fireworks in public... I'd give it a big NO.
3 comments:
I hear you. There were 8 fires caused by fireworks in Ottawa. Animals, mostly dogs, hiding in fear, as well as people, like me, who cannot abide the noise.
These are animal cruelty cases. The City of Toronto has been debating fireworks, yet they have not come up with the animal cruelty cases of fireworks being used to kill animals. This is something I will definitely bring up at the next time it is being discussed.
I tell you: it is a sick, sick world we live in. I will NEVER understand how anyone can treat another living being that way.
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