Arkansas mystery: Thousands of birds and fish found dead

Jan 3, 2011, 23:48 GMT

Washington - A double mystery shook the US state of Arkansas, as experts tried to figure out the cause of mysterious multiple deaths among birds and fish.

In the early hours of New Year's Day, in a small radius of only 1.6 kilometres from the town of Beeb, several thousand red-winged blackbirds and starlings fell from the sky.

On Monday, animal protection specialists were on site to assess the conditions of the animals that lay on rooftops and streets. Up to 5,000 dead birds were reportedly found, and several scores of them were taken to state capital Little Rock to be examined.

Initially, the authorities supposed that stormy weather could have led to the mass deaths. Biologists now consider it possible, however, that additional trauma was caused by New Year's crackers and fireworks.

Already last Thursday, an estimated 100,000 dead fish were found some 200 kilometres away from Beebe.

Mass fish deaths happen every year, local media cited Keith Stephens, spokesman for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, as saying. However, the magnitude of the event this year is unusual.

The dead fish were found on a 30-kilometre stretch of the Arkansas River, on the water's surface and on the banks.

In this case, experts suspect some disease that is yet to be established. They rule out a connection with the birds' deaths.