Tourist waste in the Alps: Cows suffer and die painfully!

Tourist waste in the Alps: Cows suffer and die painfully!

Österreich - The Alps, as a popular travel destination in Austria, attract a variety of hiking tourists every year. But the rush has serious consequences for the animals living there. A central problem is the improper disposal of garbage by visitors, which in particular threatens the health of the cows in the mountains. According to a report byWatsonMeasures many animals waste, which leads to painful dying.

Cows that mix the waste with grass often have fatal injuries in the gastrointestinal tract. A farmer described the tragic case of one of his cows that bled to death after she had swallowed garbage. Veterinarian Johann Burgstaller explains that such injuries are often only recognized in disease symptoms. While metal parts can be removed with magnets, it looks significantly worse for plastic or glass fragments.

Garbage problem in the mountains

The problems with garbage in the mountains are not new. Many hiking tourists think without waste in nature. Littering, which happens both unconsciously and consciously, leads to an enormous risk to flora and fauna. Fill hotspots, i.e. heavily frequented places, often become garbage loading area.

According to the websitemountain timePlastic bags decompose in valleys after about 80 years, while dismantling in the mountains can take up to 120 years. The low temperatures and the reduced oxygen concentration in higher locations slow down the decay process considerably. The Global 2000 organization has also documented more than 105,800 cases of littering since 2017, with the mostly thrown waste of cigarette, plastic waste and metal products.

Consequences for the ecosystem

Dash in the Alps has not only aesthetic, but also health effects on the ecosystem. Microplastics are no longer only detected in waters, but also in glaciers and other parts of the biosphere. For example, 74 plastic particles per kilogram of deposits could be found on the Forni glacier.

In addition, the garbage affects the hut owners because the waste quantities vary greatly per night. While it is 0.3 to 1.5 kilograms per guest in difficult -to -reach areas, waste disposal at altitudes is often costly and difficult to implement. Peasant associations and veterinarians appeal to the tourists to think about the consequences of their actions and take their garbage again.

It is becoming increasingly clear that measures to fight garbage are necessary at different levels. Both private and public actors have to develop a common awareness of the protection of nature so that the beauty of the Alps is preserved for future generations.