Hundreds of dead birds with suspected avian flu have been removed from north-east beaches over the last week.
The local authority described it as a “very challenging” week for landscape services staff who have been removing dead seabirds from shorelines around Aberdeenshire.
Wearing full PPE, the frontline teams removed hundreds of birds.
At Cruden Bay alone, more than 120 birds were removed from the beach in just one day.
Aberdeenshire Council is asking people to stop assisting in the clean-up by burying or binning dead bird carcasses for their own safety.
Instead, they are urging people to continue reporting sightings of dead birds so their teams can dispose of them correctly.
An Aberdeenshire Council spokesman said: “Thanks to our very supportive residents and community groups who have been reporting sightings, we’ve been able to quickly map out and prioritise the removal of the birds and we will be getting to all these areas just as soon as we can.
“Our thanks also go to a number of our own staff from various services who have come forward and volunteered to assist with future collections as and when required.”
Public should continue reporting sightings
The council stressed the beaches are still safe to enjoy throughout the summer, with the threat of transmission to humans remaining very low.
Despite this, people are being advised not to touch any dead or sick wild birds and to keep dogs and any other pets away from them.
The council has also warned the public to avoid touching wild bird feathers or surfaces covered in droppings and is asking people not to feed wild waterfowl.
The public should continue reporting a grouping of 10 or more dead birds by calling the council’s dedicated phoneline on 01467 537444.
Any dead birds should also be reported to Defra’s national helpline on 03459 335577.
The council advises that the Scottish SPCA should be contacted for advice about any living but sick birds on 03000 999999.
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