10,000 birds die mysteriously in China, drop like "rain" from sky

BEIJING: -- More than 10,000 birds died mysteriously in eastern China's Jiangsu province, dropping like rain from the sky, state media reported Thursday.

Farmers and other witnesses in Sangongdian village in Taizhou city saw flocks of bramble finch suddenly fall from the sky Tuesday, the Beijing Youth Daily said.

Most of the birds were dead when they hit the ground and some were injured, it said. The birds look like sparrows and are small in size.

Officials from the local centre for disease prevention and control rushed to the scene. Samples from the birds were taken to a laboratory in nearby Nanjing city for testing to determine the cause of death.

Experts from the Jiangsu province agriculture department said that because the birds died while in flight, the cause of death may have been contamination in their food, water or environment.

They did not immediately say whether there was any connection with the spreading bird flu outbreak in Asia. China said Thursday 56,417 birds in the country had been infected with bird flu and 49,236 of them had died.

China, the world's second-largest producer and fifth-largest exporter of chicken meat, has reported five confirmed cases and 18 suspected cases of the avian flu.

The flu has been reported in nine other Asian countries and blamed for 17 deaths, in Vietnam and Thailand.

--The Nation 2004-02-05

Maybe this was just a massive bird suicide?

The thought of them getting the bird flu may have pushed them over the edge???

Does this sound like some kind of omnious warning here?????? If these birds are directly linked to the bird flu, there will probably be no way to stop its spread. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Daveyoti

Maybe they thought they were staying at the hotel in Pattaya and had to kill themselves!

Still that is a heck of a lot of birds to simply drop dead all at once!!!!! In my 50 plus years on this planet this is the first I have ever heard such occurring. I mean sure we see once in a while a bird takes the plunge like doing the bombing run, and sometimes smack right on the sidewalk, but we are talking 10K birds at one shot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What kind of cannon was it to pop them?????????

Daveyoti

Bet IT would like to try a Alabama Duck Gun on you Daveyo.

Read stories of them being used with about 200 grams of black powder. Apparently take out 150 birds on a pond... Just stand over there Dave Yokel

Hardly any wonder he thinks you're a drop kick.

A little to the left Daveyo, there is a big drake I really want.

You move and it will be the both of you at one bang.

Hmmmmmm, but guess what, I have the final surprise for both of ya!!!!! Hehehehehehehehehehhee. Ditto I won't answer cause then it won't be a surprise. hehehehehehehe.

One of the reasons is because of the dotage from both of you.

Daveyoti