Her government Kenya wants to kill up to 6 million quelea ostriches that invade farms looking for food, but experts warn that the mass killing will have unintended consequences for predators and other wild species in the ecosystem.

A prolonged drought in the Horn of Africa has reduced the area of ​​native grass, the seeds of which are the main food of the kelea, causing birds to increasingly invade grain fields, threatening 2,000 hectares of rice crops. Birds have already destroyed about 300 hectares of rice fields.

According to the World Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), one quelea can eat up to 10 grams of grain a day. Farmers in western Kenya risk losing nearly 60 tons of grain to birds. FAO estimates that in 2021 crop losses due to birds are costing farmers about $50 million a year.

Spraying with fenthion, an organophosphate pesticide, was the first choice for pest control in Africa, but researchers have now labeled the chemical as toxic to humans and other “non-target organisms.” “Therefore, fenthion can injure or kill indiscriminately with subsequent adverse effects on non-target organisms,” the researchers concluded, cited by the Guardian.

Paul Gaseru, species and area conservation officer at Nature Kenya, a local affiliate of BirdLife International, emphasized that the method used to control quelea must be clear, as the widespread use of aviicides can lead to environmental pollution and the mass death of other birds and animals. . .