Visitors, officials warn of balloon use and hazards to wildlife
ASSATEAGUE ISLAND, Md. – Visitors and officials at Assateague Island are raising red flags about a certain item used at many celebration, and the dangers that it poses to wildlife, balloons.
A pair of regular Assateague visitors, Ann Richardson and Penny Sperry, posting an experience they had Monday to Facebook showing a horse named April chomping on a ribbon with a latex balloon at the end.
“It’s upsetting. It’s really upsetting because you wonder what’s going to happen to the pony,” said Sperry.
Assateague officials confirm April is OK. But balloons are not uncommon for the area.
“We’ll pick up five or six or, a few weeks ago I picked up 19 in one day. And they were all mylar,” said Richardson.
We spoke with officials from the national park who tell us the horses are unlikely to swallow these balloons, but they and the strings that are attached can be big issues for other animals, like sea turtles and the birds in the area.
Sperry says her post was met with shock from locals, not realizing what the remnants of these party items can do to our environment. And they urge people to find alternatives, so we can see a cut down on the number of hazardous materials on the Assateague beaches and marshes.
“There’s so many alternatives. You could send flowers, you could do a bird release,” said Richardson. “There’s all kinds of other gifts that you could do that aren’t going to kill animals.”
We did receive a statement from Assateague:
“The horse bit through the ribbon and did not swallow the latex balloon attached. The balloon and remaining ribbon was recovered. We speculate the balloon was entangled in the grass and was subsequently eaten by the horse. Yet another detrimental example of the environmental consequences resulting from balloon releases.
“Per the Superintendent’s Compendium (a summary of park specific rules implemented under 36 Code of Federal Regulations (36 CFR):
“All public areas of the park are closed to the possession or use of all balloons, to include those made of latex, Mylar, or plastic. Balloons are routinely mistaken as a food source by marine mammals and sea turtles. Ingestion of such items presents a serious health risk to these protected species.”
“Nevertheless, Assateague Island is surrounded by the rest of the world. Balloon releases from miles and miles away may drift and land on the island by air and water.”
If you see animals in distress, do not take matters into your own hands, instead report it to park officials.
