Iran: massacre of birds on the Caspian Sea, almost 6,000 carcasses. The cause is unknown

Among the affected species the flamingo, the Northern shoveler and the coot.  The tests would have ruled out (avian) flu or Newcastle disease.  Ban on hunting or selling birds, burning animal carcasses.  Among the possible causes, botulinum poisoning from rotting roots.

Tehran (AsiaNews) - At least 6 thousand migratory birds have been found dead in the Miankaleh peninsula, in the province of Māzandarān, northern Iran.  Official Irna news agency reports the carcasses were found along the banks of the Caspian Sea that border the villages of Galoogah and Qalehpayan, in the south-eastern town of Behshahr.

Local witnesses report that, on the fourth day of monitoring, the number of dead birds reached 5900. Three of the most affected species: the flamingo, the Northern shoveler and the coot.  In a period of international alert for the ongoing coronavirus epidemic, which started from an animal market in Wuhan, China, even the news of a (mysterious) death of birds can cause alarm.

At the moment, the causes of the death are not yet known and the veterinary organizations have not made an official pronouncement.  However, the latest tests would have ruled out (bird flu) or Newcastle disease as there were no symptoms such as bruising, bleeding and enlarged spleen.

Hossein-Ali Ebrahimi, head of the environmental department of Mazandaran province, confirms the ban on hunting any species of migratory bird in the eastern province, until further notice, to guarantee the health of the population.  At the same time, the sale of birds is also prohibited, until further investigations into the causes of death are made.

In the meantime, the authorities collected the carcasses and burned them as a precaution.  Ebrahimi urged the entire population of Mazandaran not to buy or consume wild birds in order to ensure their health.  Ali Aboutalebi, an environmentalist in the area, points out that similar cases of mysterious deaths have occurred in the area's forests in recent years;  the analyzes showed that some birds were allergic to a particular type of algae and, more generally, "bird deaths show a high risk of poisoning or contamination".

Water pollution is one of the reasons for the massacres of animals.  Safar Ali Makenali, deputy director of the Organization of Health and Veterinary Prevention, talks about possible botulinum poisoning and the origin of the toxin to be found in the "roots of decaying plants".

The Miankaleh peninsula is a 48 km long strip between 1.3 and 3.2 km wide, which separates the Gorgan bay from the Caspian Sea.  It hosts several unique birds from the Caspian region, as well as reptiles found only in the area.  The place is also an important internationally recognized refuge for migratory birds.  Excessive grazing, illegal hunting, fishing, deforestation and the unplanned spread of villages are some of the challenges that pose a threat to the region's environment.