{"id":252055,"date":"2025-10-31T00:37:14","date_gmt":"2025-10-31T00:37:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/252055\/"},"modified":"2025-10-31T00:37:14","modified_gmt":"2025-10-31T00:37:14","slug":"tragic-discovery-in-suburban-yard-as-aussies-embrace-controversial-tradition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/252055\/","title":{"rendered":"Tragic discovery in suburban yard as Aussies embrace controversial tradition"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s been carnage in the suburbs, as Australians once again embrace a tradition of hanging plastic spider webs<\/a> to celebrate Halloween. In Sydney, witnesses say a distressed kookaburra \u201cgave up\u201d on life after becoming entangled, while a world away in an outback town, a honeyeater was discovered hanging from a tree by a string of fluorescent orange web.<\/p>\n

Similar products are sold cheaply at large retailers, including Coles, Woolworths, Big W and Kmart<\/a>. And while some have warnings not to hang them outside, take a walk along any street where Halloween is being celebrated and you\u2019ll likely spot them hanging from trees, shrubs and fences.<\/p>\n

Romani was walking through the northern Sydney <\/a>suburb of Wahroonga when she noticed something odd in a yard \u201cdecked out\u201d for Halloween.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were fake cobwebs all the way down the long driveway. I did a double-take because I saw this thing on the ground and wasn\u2019t sure what it was,\u201d she told Yahoo News.<\/p>\n

\"Left:<\/p>\n

Fake spider webs, like these in Melbourne’s innner west, are increasingly being hung in yards, despite repeated warnings about the threat they pose to wildlife. Source: Michael Dahlstrom<\/p>\n

Kookaburra ‘scared’ and ‘flapping’ after entanglement<\/p>\n

After taking a closer look, Romani realised it was a kookaburra. But because it was lying motionless, she initially thought it was dead.<\/p>\n

“I think it had sort of given up,” she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t moving and had its head resting on the ground. I slightly tugged on the cobwebs, and it only flew about 30 centimetres, so I could see it was completely trapped, and the fake cobwebs were around its neck.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rescue group WIRES confirmed it received a call about the entanglement, and its volunteers urged Romani to try and contain the bird until help arrived. Luckily, a passing student nurse was able to assist and together they worked to free the bird, removing the web that was slowly choking it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was quite scared and flapping a lot,\u201d she said, noting the bird flew away immediately after it was untangled.<\/p>\n

\"Left:<\/p>\n

A white-plumed honeyeater suffered swelling in its leg from being caught in an orange spider web. Source: Travis Cooper\/WIRES<\/p>\n

Call to ban dangerous Halloween decorations<\/p>\n

Halloween can be controversial in Australia, because it\u2019s a relatively new celebration here.<\/p>\n

In the United States, it\u2019s been a tradition since the 19th century, and so Americans carve pumpkins and hang homemade decorations. But Down Under, it’s evolved at a time when cheap single-use plastic decorations are all the rage \u2014 the type that can entangle wildlife and release microplastics into the environment as they degrade.<\/p>\n

Romani has no problem with Halloween, but the distressing incident has prompted her to call on Aussies to reconsider using cheap decorations.<\/p>\n

\u201cThink about why a spider builds a web. It\u2019s to trap things. So a human hanging them will do the same,\u201d she said. \u201cPeople just need to be a bit more creative with their Halloween.\u201d<\/p>\n

She\u2019s started a petition to try and get fake webs banned in her local area<\/a>. But she thinks retailers also have the responsibility to stop selling dangerous single-use decorations.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey did it with plastic straws, they did it mostly with plastic bags<\/a> \u2014 places don\u2019t really sell them any more. Fake webs are just one of those things that need to be phased out,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\"Left:<\/p>\n

More webs were seen on the streets of Sydney. Source: Courtney Greatrex<\/p>\n

Honeyeater found hanging upside down from fake web<\/p>\n

In Broken Hill, WIRES rescuers responded to a call for help after a white-plumed honeyeater became entangled in a web on October 19.<\/p>\n

Stephanie Grieve from the charity\u2019s Far West Branch said the discovery prompted many members of the community to pull down their fake webs.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was just horrendous. It had both legs wrapped up, and it was hanging upside down from her tree,\u201d she told Yahoo News.<\/p>\n

In that case, the bird had not been suffering long enough for it to lose its leg. While there was some swelling, it was ultimately deemed well enough to be released.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want to be the fun police, we still want people to enjoy Halloween, but just be mindful of what you\u2019re hanging outside,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust be mindful that we share our environment with wildlife. We should be able to keep wildlife safe while having a good time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Love Australia’s weird and wonderful environment? \ud83d\udc0a\ud83e\udd98\ud83d\ude33 Get our new newsletter<\/a> showcasing the week\u2019s best stories.<\/p>\n

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