VALLEY PARK, Mo. – The World Bird Sanctuary has seen an uptick in the number of birds caught in soccer nets around St. Louis.
Around 6,000,000 birds flew through the region Friday night, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Birdcast. But there’s a growing problem in this soccer capital of America—birds are getting caught in the nets.
“(With) soccer nets, you can see through really well,” Jeff Mesach, deputy director at World Bird Sanctuary, said. “Our theory is they see prey on the other side of the soccer net and they’re sitting on the opposite side. When they fly down to catch the prey, they don’t acknowledge the net. They think they can fly right through it.”
On social media, World Bird Sanctuary is reminding the public that soccer nets pose this risk. The nonprofit’s hospital has seen eight soccer net entanglements in the past two months involving great horned owls. Five have been successfully released, but three remain in their care.
“They have the potential of breaking feathers and breaking bones because they get caught and start to struggle badly,” Mesach said. “If they’re not found, they can struggle to death.”
If you come across a raptor or owl that has been entangled in a soccer net, call the World Bird Sanctuary. Their experts can come save the bird and take it back to Valley Park for evaluation and care needed.
But the simplest way to lend a hand and help these feathered friends is to take down the soccer nets once play has ended on the field.
