It's in Your Hands
Feeding bread to the ducks is a fond pastime for many of us, reminding us of happy childhood trips to the local park. Eating it can cause our feathered friends to develop a condition called Angel Wing, which is when too much bread makes birds' feathers grow too quickly. This additional weight puts a strain on their muscles, causing their wings to twist and drop open.
"Angel Wing can be cured if we reach birds before it has developed too severely," says Caroline Simpson, a trustee of UK charity Swan Lifeline, "" Over the last 20 years UK charity Swan Lifeline has rescued and treated more than 30,000 birds. Adult swans can develop heart disease by eating much bread, so it's important that we do our best to prevent this by feeding them the right kind of food.
Rotten bread at the bottom of rivers and lakes allows bacteria to breed, spreading disease and attracting rats and other pests to our waterways, which can result in the presence of a mould (霉菌) called Aspergillus. It has the potential to kill waterfowl and other wildlife if it gets into their lungs.
Definitely not. Wild Things Swan & Duck Food has launched the "Better than Bread" Campaign to highlight the risk of a calorific diet to water birds. The campaign advises that there are much healthier alternatives to bread, such as specially developed feeds. They can float on the water surface, so birds can enjoy every last bit.
A. So we must stop feeding the ducks.
B. But did you know that bread actually puts birds in danger?
C. Does this mean we have to stop fun trips to feed the ducks?
D. Bread can also cause harmful changes to the natural ecosystem.
E. What a scene it is to watch ducks eating bread floating on the river!
F. Otherwise the consequences can be serious — such as the loss of the wing.
G. Next time take a healthier alternative and do your bit to protect our precious wildlife.
