Litter picker says drink debris is killing wildlife
The discovery of a family of dead rodents in an empty beer can at a site near Loch Ard has prompted calls for campers to take care over littering.
Adventure photographer Charlotte Workman regularly heads out for walks around her local area and was out cycling near the picturesque loch last week when she spotted the debris left behind by visitors.
When Charlotte, who lives in Aberfoyle, went to investigate the rubbish, she picked up the can to find decomposed bodies of the small mammals inside.
The 30-year-old told the Observer: “I saw the can in the bushes, so I picked it up and it was quite heavy and that was when the bodies slipped out.
“I couldn’t understand it to begin with but then it clicked into place, it’s just so horrific.
“They must have crawled in thinking it was a safe space so it’s just tragic – I’ve never seen animals harmed in such a direct and deadly way and it’s just quite awful.
“It’s just one can and it’s caused all of these animal deaths, it just kind of shows that even by picking up one can, that can make such a difference.”
The issue of littering and waste left behind in the region’s rural areas was a hot issue over the summer months as visitors flocked to local hotspots.
And Charlotte – who regularly takes part in litter picks around her area – admits that while things has improved since the busy days over the summer, there are some pockets where things need to be tidied up. She said: “I went down to the woods because it was misty and just beautiful.
“I was taking a few photos and that’s when I turned around and saw all of this litter. It was a real shame because it ruined such a lovely spot – some of it was fishing stuff so I presumed that’s what people had been doing..
“Things haven’t been too bad with litter and there are a few good people who pick up litter on their walks so that really helps.
“It’s an issue that gets talked about on the local community pages a lot and the paths are quite clear right now, although you do see these isolated pockets where it’s awful.
“When the lockdown lifted a little bit, it was bad, the worst I’ve seen it, but it’s kind of decreased with the weather now although you still the odd energy can lying around.”