Dozens of ducks died on a lake in the centre of Kaliningrad

The suspicious body of water will be checked by staff from the prosecutor’s office and specialists from the regional ministry of natural resources, after which it will be cleaned up.

Photo by: Steve Menlowe / Unsplash

The preservation of ducks both from abuse by humans and from their excessive love (bread feeding) has come to the focus of public attention. The case in Kaliningrad has therefore received widespread publicity.

In the centre of Kaliningrad at least 20 ducks died on the Poplavok lake. The cause of the mass death of the waterfowl is not yet known, TASS reported citing the regional prosecutor’s office.

“The Kaliningrad inter-district environmental prosecutor’s office with the involvement of the regional ministry of natural resources and ecology is investigating the mass death of ducks in the Poplavok lake in Kaliningrad,” the agency quoted representatives of the office as saying.

Specialists took water samples at the scene. They will be analysed in a laboratory. After intervention of the prosecutor’s office, the lake will be cleaned by employees of the municipal institution Hydrotechnik.

First deputy public prosecutor of the region Vladimir Rodin came to the shore of Poplavok. On results of checks in prosecutor’s office will decide what measures to take further.

The Poplavok lake is located in the Central District of Kaliningrad. It was created in the early 20th century to control floods, when the respectable district Amalienau, where luxurious villas and mansions were located, was built in the western suburbs of the city (at that time — Königsberg).

We would remind you that earlier in Moscow, specialists from Mospriroda appealed to residents of the capital not to feed bread to ducks in the city’s water bodies. According to environmentalists, it creates health risks for birds and may even lead to their deaths, as well as worsening the state of the water.

Due to the hot summer, blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, began to bloom actively in the capital’s ponds. During the blooming period, they release toxic substances.

Bread impregnated with bacteria and toxins quickly becomes mouldy. Such food causes severe poisoning in birds, disabling their digestive system.

It is suspected that improper feeding may have caused the death of several ducks in the lake of Yauza Park in the Sviblovo district of Moscow. The incident happened in late August.

“In summer, birds don’t need feeding at all: now there is plenty of natural, species-specified food for all wild animals, and ducks must learn to get their own food in natural conditions in order not to die during the difficult migration to winter,” stressed ecologists.

As it was specified in “Mospriroda”, ducks and other birds can and should be fed during the cold season. At the same time, one should exclude baked goods, as well as spicy, smoked and salty foods from the diet of birds.

Experts recommend feeding waterfowl when temperatures drop below 15 degrees below zero.

Cover photo: Omar Ram / Unsplash