Information ** in Kyoto Shimbun, Japan.
Since December 14, residents of Shiga Prefecture in Japan, walking along the shores of Lake Biwa, have seen many dead waterfowl one after another. Some of them lie on the shore;Some are entangled in aquatic weeds;Others float directly on the surface of the lake. At first, most residents thought that it was a normal phenomenon in winter, after all, it was so cold that it was normal for unhealthy waterfowl to not be able to resist. But more and more residents are finding that the number of dead waterbirds is increasing, and the number has reached about 40-50!Don't think that this amount looks average, it's actually quite abnormal.
The residents then responded to the local authorities. After the investigation in Shiga Prefecture, Japan, it said at a recent press conference that a large number of waterbirds have indeed died in Otsu Port in Otsu City, on the southwest shore of Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, recently, but at present, the cause is still unknown. For safety, please refrain from approaching the carcasses of these waterfowl
40-50 is only the data from the 14th to the 18th, and the latest data is that 130 dead waterbirds have been found, which is based on a local junior high school bird watcher. Dead waterfowl include white-boned chickens and red-headed pochards, all of which are common in the area. Shiga Prefecture has already dispatched personnel to the scene to investigate, but it is still difficult to find the cause, because the carcasses of many waterbirds have begun to decompose, and it is difficult to inspect them because they have begun to be decomposed.
Why is this strange phenomenon happening?Let's start with a little bit of a basic analysis.
Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture, Japan's largest lake, is surrounded by large patches of reeds that are home to a variety of wildlife that have long been legislated to be protected and off-limits to the public. But after all, it is called "Japan's largest lake", so tourists are naturally indispensable. Many visitors intentionally or unintentionally step into the reeds, which can lead to a loss of habitat and a sense of security for wildlife, and these waterfowl are a part of this.
In addition, Lake Biwa has experienced many drops in water levels in recent years, and at its worst it even exposed the riverbed, creating a dry road that can be walked, and the Japanese have named this road the "Phantom Road". This can naturally affect waterfowl as well.
Coincidentally, I just wrote an article yesterday titled "Hundreds of waterfowl frozen on the river?".Don't worry!Expert: Wild waterfowl can adapt to changing environments" can also be analyzed.
In this article, I wrote about a Beijing citizen who saw hundreds of waterfowl on the water surface of a small pond near Zhuangtou Village in the Phoenix Garden of Jianhe Park in Shunyi District, Beijing, and he was worried about whether the waterfowl were frozen on the water. This thing is mainly used to popularize science for everyone: natural water bodies are flowing and will not freeze instantly, and the water birds are survival experts, and they will avoid it if something happens, so basically there will be no freezing on the water surface, and even if there is, it is also the reason for the vitality of the individual.
This shows that there is a high probability that these dead birds in Lake Biwa in Japan will not simply freeze to death, unless there is something wrong with their bodies. In fact, my first reaction when I saw the news was: bird flu.
On December 5, I also wrote an article titled "Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus Detected in Dead Wild Birds in Central Tokyo in Japan", which is clearly explained from the title. In short, Japan's seasonal avian influenza has reappeared, and this time it is a highly pathogenic avian influenza variant. Avian influenza spreads ferociously among birds, so I can't rule it out, and I think that's why.
Of course, it cannot be ruled out that many people will subconsciously think that it is the nuclear sewage that causes the mass death of these water birds. This really can't be impossible, you know the "butterfly effect", right?The destruction of nature by humans anywhere will lead to global change in a subtle way, especially if Japan is still engaged in the discharge of nuclear wastewater.
Finally, to sum up, don't think I'm verbose, some friends are too lazy to read so many words, you can come to the last side to look at my guess directly.
The cause of the large number of waterbirds dying in Lake Biwa in Japan is not yet clear, but according to my analysis, there are several possibilities: it may be caused by habitat changes, including the loss of reed thickets, drought, etc.;May be caused by highly pathogenic avian influenza;It may be caused by nuclear wastewater.
Among them, I think avian influenza is the most likely.