Subtopic 1: The impact of plastic pollution on the fauna

Like marine creatures, land animals are seriously affected by plastic pollution and plastic waste. We need to learn about this issue and be prepared to take action.

Wild animals can easily get trapped and entangled in plastic, and this could prevent them from moving and from hunting for food, thus becoming more vulnerable preys. For example, raccoons usually stick their heads into plastic containers looking for food residues and thus resulting in losing limbs and having cuts, birds get trapped in plastic ring beverage holders thus losing the ability to fly and hunt, and deer catch their antlers in twine.

Figure 5 – Source: nature-photography.us – Stork in a bag.

In these cases, animals suffer from deep cuts and slices on the bodies, overheating, suffocation, dehydration, starvation and then death. In addition to all this, the majority of land animals happen to ingest plastic and microplastics, thus resulting in having intestinal blockages and risking death. There have been many cases of land-based animals, such as elephants, hyenas, zebras, tigers, camels and cattle that have accidentally consumed plastic waste and thus having died.

Figure 6 – Source: abc7ny.com – Racoon gets head stuck in Campbell’s soup can, Florida vets use can opener to free him.

Animals, unfortunately, are not able to distinguish whether something is made from plastic or not, hence they mistake plastic particles for food, thus resulting in having significant serious health problems or risking death. It has been showed by scientists that the presence of microplastics inside animals causes liver and cell damage and disruptions to reproductive systems. This means that some species are not able to reproduce, hence hundreds of animal species risk extinction over the next decades.

Figure 7 – Source: onegreenplanet.org – Photo of Young Lion With Plastic Bottle in His Mouth Tells a Sad Story.

Studies have demonstrated that chemicals from plastic reach animals’ stomachs and get absorbed, thus causing potential issues especially further up the food chain because it implies that the plastic is passed along the chain.

Figure 8 – Source: earth.org – The Detrimental Impacts of Plastic Pollution on Animals.