Animals and the environment suffer: New Year's Eve fireworks are so dangerous!

With the upcoming turn of the year and the associated New Year's Eve celebrations, the discussion about the effects of fireworks on animals and the environment will be louder. First and foremost, New Year's fireworks cause considerable stress for pets as well as for wild and pasture animals. This was emphasized in a current message from the state of Baden-Württemberg, which appeals to all animal owners to take special precautions.

For many animals, especially dogs, cats and wild animals, the loud, unpredictable noises of fireworks are a serious threat. They have difficulties classifying the noises and often switch to escape mode. This can cause animals to run onto the street, which in turn can lead to traffic accidents, as wwf.at.

recommendations and risks

The Ministry recommends avoid wild animals to avoid wild animals and to dispose of garbage properly. In areas with an increased risk of the African swine fever (ASP), special restrictions on burning fireworks apply. Here there is a risk that wild boars are sprinkled through the noises in ASP-infected zones, which can be problematic for animals and animal husbandry, as the message from Baden-Württemberg explains.

On New Year's Eve, pet owners should make sure not to leave their pets alone and create a noisy environment. Fireworks often panic fireworks, which can lead to a significant loss of energy that is decisive for the survival of the animals in the cold season. Many wild animals have a lack of food and energy anyway during this time, which means that the escape from fireworks can have fatal consequences for them.

In addition, the reports show that fireworks are particularly harmful during the breeding season of birds. Young birds can fall out of the nests, which significantly reduces their chances of survival. In the long term, fireworks noise can also have a lasting impact on the migration behavior of birds.

The environmental pollution from fireworks are also not to be neglected. On New Year's Eve, the fine dust values ​​rose to the highest of the year, whereupon wwf.at indicates. Released heavy metals and chemical compounds that are responsible for the color games in fireworks are not only for animals, but also for people, a health risk. Remains of fireworks that are improperly disposed of remain in nature and can represent considerable dangers for the wildlife.