A nest full of native newborn chicks is a wonderful sight, but look closer and you’ll see they’re nesting in plastic.
Zoo Member Shaun Thomas sent us these photographs after spotting the mistle thrush family in a tree by the camel paddock on the lower zoo site.
DZG Conservation Officer Chris Leeson said: “This was a great spot by Shaun, as a third of the mistle thrush population has been lost over the last 20 years so it’s really good to have more and more native species animals calling the zoo home.”
But these fabulous pictures also highlight how single-use plastic is wreaking havoc on our planet as the birds are using what looks like a plastic sandwich bag as nesting material.
Chris added: “We have all become profoundly aware of the damaging effects of plastic in our oceans and especially sea birds, but as you can see from these pictures, plastic has been used instead of natural materials to help build this bird’s nest, which is an indicator to the extent of rubbish and plastic use in urban areas.
“These plastics can easily be ingested and affect the health of these animals.
“Here at DZG we are always looking at ways to reduce plastic waste on our site, but this shows there is always more for us to do and we hope you can help us.”