Latest news with #MichellePhillips
West Australian
2 days ago
- West Australian
Birds fall from sky in mass death event in Melbourne suburb
More than 200 birds, including native corellas, were found dead outside a shopping centre in Melbourne's south over the weekend in what wildlife rescuers are calling a mass poisoning event. 'Had a traumatic day rescuing birds that had been poisoned,' Michelle Phillips from South Oakleigh Wildlife Shelter said. Witnesses described a confronting and distressing scene, with birds falling to the ground outside Springvale South shopping centre and a nearby school playground. 'They literally fell from the sky,' Ms Phillips said. 'Birds were dead or injured on people's houses, nearby parks, under cars.' It's believed the birds – mostly corellas and some pigeons – consumed poisoned feed on Friday, with the deaths continuing over the weekend. By Monday, the clean-up was still ongoing. 'There were over 200 dead, eight alive now at Healesville Sanctuary with autopsies happening,' Ms Phillips said. 'This is one reason that people should not feed wild birds, there is plenty natural food around.' The incident has drawn strong condemnation from the Animal Justice Party and calls for urgent legislative reform. 'This is yet another example of sickening animal cruelty that continues to happen in Victoria,' Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell said. 'I am disturbed to think that someone may have deliberately caused these doomsday-like scenes in suburban Melbourne where birds are literally falling from the sky. 'I hope that authorities throw every resource at finding those responsible for this heinous crime. 'The Allan Labor government must honour their commitment to modernise our state's archaic wildlife protection laws to deter this abhorrent behaviour and ensure serious penalties can be applied when perpetrators are caught.' Corellas are native to Australia and protected under Victorian wildlife laws.
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Perth Now
‘Doomsday-like scenes' as birds drop dead
More than 200 birds, including native corellas, were found dead outside a shopping centre in Melbourne's south over the weekend in what wildlife rescuers are calling a mass poisoning event. 'Had a traumatic day rescuing birds that had been poisoned,' Michelle Phillips from South Oakleigh Wildlife Shelter said. Witnesses described a confronting and distressing scene, with birds falling to the ground outside Springvale South shopping centre and a nearby school playground. 'They literally fell from the sky,' Ms Phillips said. 'Birds were dead or injured on people's houses, nearby parks, under cars.' Witnesses said more than 200 birds 'fell from the sky'. South Oakleigh Wildlife Shelter. Credit: Supplied It's believed the birds ate poisoned feed. South Oakleigh Wildlife Shelter Credit: Supplied It's believed the birds – mostly corellas and some pigeons – consumed poisoned feed on Friday, with the deaths continuing over the weekend. By Monday, the clean-up was still ongoing. 'There were over 200 dead, eight alive now at Healesville Sanctuary with autopsies happening,' Ms Phillips said. 'This is one reason that people should not feed wild birds, there is plenty natural food around.' Eight surviving birds are being treated at Healesville Sanctuary. South Oakleigh Wildlife Shelter. Credit: Supplied The incident has drawn strong condemnation from the Animal Justice Party and calls for urgent legislative reform. 'This is yet another example of sickening animal cruelty that continues to happen in Victoria,' Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell said. 'I am disturbed to think that someone may have deliberately caused these doomsday-like scenes in suburban Melbourne where birds are literally falling from the sky. 'I hope that authorities throw every resource at finding those responsible for this heinous crime. 'The Allan Labor government must honour their commitment to modernise our state's archaic wildlife protection laws to deter this abhorrent behaviour and ensure serious penalties can be applied when perpetrators are caught.' Corellas are native to Australia and protected under Victorian wildlife laws.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
‘Doomsday-like scenes' as birds drop dead
More than 200 birds, including native corellas, were found dead outside a shopping centre in Melbourne's south over the weekend in what wildlife rescuers are calling a mass poisoning event. 'Had a traumatic day rescuing birds that had been poisoned,' Michelle Phillips from South Oakleigh Wildlife Shelter said. Witnesses described a confronting and distressing scene, with birds falling to the ground outside Springvale South shopping centre and a nearby school playground. 'They literally fell from the sky,' Ms Phillips said. 'Birds were dead or injured on people's houses, nearby parks, under cars.' It's believed the birds – mostly corellas and some pigeons – consumed poisoned feed on Friday, with the deaths continuing over the weekend. By Monday, the clean-up was still ongoing. 'There were over 200 dead, eight alive now at Healesville Sanctuary with autopsies happening,' Ms Phillips said. 'This is one reason that people should not feed wild birds, there is plenty natural food around.' The incident has drawn strong condemnation from the Animal Justice Party and calls for urgent legislative reform. 'This is yet another example of sickening animal cruelty that continues to happen in Victoria,' Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell said. 'I am disturbed to think that someone may have deliberately caused these doomsday-like scenes in suburban Melbourne where birds are literally falling from the sky. 'I hope that authorities throw every resource at finding those responsible for this heinous crime. 'The Allan Labor government must honour their commitment to modernise our state's archaic wildlife protection laws to deter this abhorrent behaviour and ensure serious penalties can be applied when perpetrators are caught.' Corellas are native to Australia and protected under Victorian wildlife laws.
News.com.au
2 days ago
- News.com.au
Birds fall from sky in mass death event in Melbourne suburb
More than 200 birds, including native corellas, were found dead outside a shopping centre in Melbourne's south over the weekend in what wildlife rescuers are calling a mass poisoning event. 'Had a traumatic day rescuing birds that had been poisoned,' Michelle Phillips from South Oakleigh Wildlife Shelter said. Witnesses described a confronting and distressing scene, with birds falling to the ground outside Springvale South shopping centre and a nearby school playground. 'They literally fell from the sky,' Ms Phillips said. 'Birds were dead or injured on people's houses, nearby parks, under cars.' It's believed the birds – mostly corellas and some pigeons – consumed poisoned feed on Friday, with the deaths continuing over the weekend. By Monday, the clean-up was still ongoing. 'There were over 200 dead, eight alive now at Healesville Sanctuary with autopsies happening,' Ms Phillips said. 'This is one reason that people should not feed wild birds, there is plenty natural food around.' The incident has drawn strong condemnation from the Animal Justice Party and calls for urgent legislative reform. 'This is yet another example of sickening animal cruelty that continues to happen in Victoria,' Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell said. 'I am disturbed to think that someone may have deliberately caused these doomsday-like scenes in suburban Melbourne where birds are literally falling from the sky. 'I hope that authorities throw every resource at finding those responsible for this heinous crime. 'The Allan Labor government must honour their commitment to modernise our state's archaic wildlife protection laws to deter this abhorrent behaviour and ensure serious penalties can be applied when perpetrators are caught.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Mass poisoning fears after 'horrendous' discovery in front of suburban shopping centre
WARNING — DISTRESSING IMAGES: Streets surrounding a suburban Australian supermarket were in chaos over the weekend after a suspected mass-poisoning resulted in birds falling from the sky in front of shocked shoppers. The bodies of more than 200 corellas, a type of native cockatoo, were collected from gutters and footpaths at the shopping centre on the corner of Springvale and Athol Roads in Springvale, Melbourne. Michelle Phillips, who has rescued and cared for wildlife for over 25 years, told Yahoo News she feared she'll have nightmares. 'I've done lots of horrible rescues, but this is the worst,' the South Oakleigh Wildlife Shelter founder said. Birds were documented bleeding from the mouth, eyes and nostrils, leading first responders to believe they'd consumed rat bait. Birds are regularly fed in the area, luring large disruptive flocks to the shopping strip. But rescuers are suspicious that several bags full of seed and bread dumped on Friday and Saturday nights could be linked to the massive mortality event, and samples have been collected for testing. 'Nobody rang it in on Saturday, the cleaners just cleaned it up. Then someone rang it in on Sunday, and when I arrived, [they] were dead everywhere,' Michelle said. The falling birds created chaos on the streets, and rescuers were concerned someone would get run over as cars tried to avoid hitting them, and rubberneckers tried to get a closer look at the spectacle. 'People were stopping and taking photos. Birds were dropping everywhere in front of cars and getting run over,' Michelle added. 🚨 Calls for Bunnings, Mitre 10, Coles and Woolworths to ditch 'toxic' product 🌵 Remarkable 26-year change revealed on Aussie desert property 📸 Rare colour footage of extinct Australian animal seen again after 90 years Pictures supplied to Yahoo News show the bodies of dozens of corellas and several pigeons collected by volunteer rescuers. 'It was gruesome. It was heartbreaking. We try and save these animals, and it seems like some bastard is trying to kill them deliberately,' she said. 'It was horrendous. We walked the streets, because they were just dropping on top of people's houses. There was more in a nearby school which we couldn't get, it's school holidays luckily, or kids would have turned up and found them on Monday. Suspicious mass poisonings of corellas and other cockatoo species have frequently been documented around Australia, particularly around farms in South Australia and suburban NSW. In March, after around 200 corellas suddenly died in Newcastle, testing by the NSW EPA found evidence it was caused by Fenitrothion, a common agricultural insecticide. In Victoria, it is illegal to kill native wildlife without a permit from the Department of Environment (DEECA). The agency describes cockatoos as 'highly intelligent' and recommends scaring combined with shooting as a means of control. Poisoning any cockatoo species is illegal in Victoria. It's understood eight corellas were taken to Healesville Sanctuary for assessment, and Yahoo is seeking clarification as to whether any survived. RSPCA Victoria confirmed it is aware of the incident, and because it involves native wildlife, it has been referred to DEECA. It has been contacted for comment. On Monday morning, Michelle collected the bodies of 13 more birds. She remains at the scene, ready to help as birds continue to die. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
