Warning of ‘harmful’ gardening trend as Australians join Halloween celebrations

Aussies celebrating Halloween this week are being warned that a common decoration placed in gardens can cause serious harm. Cheap fake spider webs made from artificial fibers are having a frightening effect on the country’s wildlife.

Native birds, bats, lizards and possums are all at risk, according to experts at the University of Sydney. Its experts have urged residents who want to celebrate the event to seek alternative decorations, as those made from natural materials are less likely to cause harm.

Biology teacher and researcher Dr. Catherine Price issued a warning on Monday, saying animals could be trapped while gathering food or nesting material. “Research suggests that about 30 percent of birds’ nests may include man-made materials, posing a risk to the nest,” she said.

In recent years, internet posts featuring images of animals caught in the web have gone viral, but this year Yahoo News has gathered evidence that proves they are also a problem in Australia.

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Which Australian animals get caught in Halloween decorations?

The American practice of decorating front yards to celebrate the ancient pagan tradition has grown in popularity in Australia over the past five years, and rescue group WIRES has responded to numerous calls since then.

Already this year, a yellow-throated honeyeater was reported to have threads of spider web caught around its wings in the western Sydney suburb of Dulwich Hill. Unfortunately, it disappeared before the rescuers arrived, and whether it survived is unknown.

Last year, a skate foot was caught in webs in the north of the city. While in the eastern suburbs, an unidentified brown and white bird was caught and left dangling for “some time”.

University of Sydney Professor Dieter Hochuli said false webs behave like real ones, but they don’t feed spiders and serve no real purpose.

“They seem like an unnecessary way to cause harm. There’s a chance you’ll trap a bunch of unsuspecting and harmless animals in your polyester decoration, which can also end up being incorporated into nests,” he said.

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