The scourge of the seas and now the land, our plastic addiction, continues to kill.
Several days after beloved orphaned dugong Mariam died due to a belly full of plastic, a deer was found dead, filled with junk, on protected lands in Thailand’s largest national park. Three kilograms of plastic were found in its stomach.
Baby Mariam’s death to be a wake-up call for environmental, wildlife conservation
“I want society to see that all animals are affected by careless human behavior,” said the national parks department veterinarian who discovered the dead deer in the Khao Yai Naitonal Park, who asked that her name be withheld due to privacy concerns.
A spork and bags were among the materials found in the deer’s stomach during a post-mortem examination.
Plastic waste inside the park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, made headlines in December with the discovery that it was in elephant poop, sparking much criticism.
Plastic waste found in elephant poop at Thai Unesco World Heritage National Park
In June 2018, a ban was announced on plastic bags and styrofoam containers at all of the nation’s zoos and 154 national parks in an effort to “beat plastic pollution.”
That and the discovery of massive illicit sites packed with imported foreign garbage contributed to a rising call for action. Some retailers such as Tesco Lotus and 7-Eleven introduced initiatives to reduce plastic-use, while a number of large chains have introduced bag-optional days. Still, those efforts have yet to make a larger social impact and have been criticized as green-washing.
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