More than 80 whistling ducks were found dead in a rice farm in Lampang’s Muang district on Friday.

Initial inspection showed that the duck massacre had been caused by a herbicide used by the farmer, Dr Pattarapol Maneeon, a veterinarian from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, said in a Facebook post on Sunday.

He said the farmer who had rented the plot said he had sprayed herbicide over his rice, but because his neighbours complained about the smell, he diluted it first.

Official investigation showed the ducks had vomited before dying, and that they had not been suffering from any illness, the veterinarian said.

It is believed the birds had died on Wednesday last week, but were only discovered on Friday once the bodies began stinking.

 

Locals told the press that birds had died near the plot earlier, but this time the number was significantly high.

 

 

 

The Nation