During renovation work

Locked in a facade: Chicks had to die

The fire department could only retrieve the birds lifeless.(Bild: Berufsfeuerwehr Klagenfurt)

The Klagenfurt professional fire department had to carry out a sad operation on Thursday. During renovation work, bird nests were blocked during plastering. But there were still chicks inside.

The nature conservation department raised the alarm because it was suspected that there were bird chicks or breeding nests in the façade of a block of flats in the St. Peter district of Klagenfurt. The façade had recently been renovated.

"We used the turntable ladder to open the holes together with nature conservation and the Carinthian Bird Aid to get to the bottom of the matter," reports the Klagenfurt professional fire department. "Unfortunately, the suspicion was confirmed when we had to recover four young birds that had died in agony and a bird's egg from the façade."

An egg was also found behind the plaster. (Warning: The next picture shows the dead birds).(Bild: Berufsfeuerwehr Klagenfurt)

The four young birds could only be recovered dead.(Bild: Berufsfeuerwehr Klagenfurt)

The rescued animals were handed over to the two organizations by the emergency services. "It is heartbreaking to see such acts, which affect us all," said the firefighters, expressing their shock. The accusation is that no attention was paid to the animals during the renovation work and that they died as a result.

Rescue opportunity was not used
But there was still a chance to save them. "It was only when we had new evidence and witnesses and I threatened to open up the holes at my own expense that the council took action. And then it was too late," criticizes Michaela Dworak from Vogelhilfe. "There were more dead birds in the façade, but we couldn't get them out because otherwise we would have had to open up the whole façade."