In Madrid, they plan to arrange large-scale fireworks in the nature reserve: animal rights activists oppose – News

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Madrid’s city council plans to stage a loud fireworks display in a nature reserve created on the recently restored Manzanares River. Environmentalists and animal rights activists protest against such an intention.

They say the mascletà pyrotechnic show will cause serious damage to wildlife, particularly the birds that have only recently returned to the Manzanares River, writes The Guardian.

Mascletà is a traditional Valencian pyrotechnic show that is part of las fallas, a festival held by Madrid and Valencia to attract tourists to the two cities.

134 species of birds, including herons, ducks, mallards, musk ducks and mallards, have taken up residence near the reservoir after the authorities in Madrid cleaned up the reservoir, which runs through the heart of Madrid and until recently was filled with stagnant water. It is also home to numerous fish, amphibians and small mammals, including otters.

Environmentalists say that 300 kilograms of gunpowder will be used for mascletà fireworks. This show is acoustically harmful to wild and domestic animals and can cause high blood pressure and stress in vulnerable people.

“There may be people in the area who will also be affected, but we can at least warn them. The animals don’t get a warning.” – says Professor Kendra Coulter, an animal ethics expert at Canada’s Huron University College.

Animal rights activists also cite studies that show fireworks have long-term negative effects on wild bird populations. And if they have already started nesting, some of them will not be able to find their way back to their nests.

“Fireworks frighten and harm all animals. Up to 50% of dogs experience fear. Wild animals are more difficult to study, but there have been cases of birds falling dead from the sky. There has also been a case of birds being so frightened that they flew so far into the sea from could not return alive” – explains Kendra Coulter.

Dogs can permanently lose their hearing because of such a show. According to estimates by the American Society for the Protection of Animals, a fifth of pets disappear due to the loud sounds of fireworks or thunderstorms.

“It is not clear why out of all the places for the mascletà this one was chosen. Is it because of ignorance,” says Maria Dolores García, an animal rights activist. She challenged the plan for the celebration on the grounds that the proposed site is a protected area under Spanish heritage law.

It will be recalled that Japanese women will take part in the traditional “naked festival” for the first time in more than a thousand years.