Call for Chinese lantern ban
A farmer has called for a complete ban on the use of Chinese lanterns after losing eight pedigree cattle to injuries caused by the ingestion of the internal structural wires. Will Lacey of High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire is understood to have matched wire recovered from inside his cattle with the debris of lanterns found on his property.
“The wire cuts through their insides and they basically bleed to death. It’s very slow and painful,” said Mr Lacey. “I can’t see how anyone could allow that to happen and it’s not just cattle which are affected. Any animal eating grass is at risk.”
Injuries and deaths have frequently been reported in cattle which have consumed the sharp bamboo or wire struts inside Chinese lanterns while grazing. The National Farmer's Union (NFU) has previously called for an outright ban on Chinese lanterns, which are already illegal in Spain, Malta, Australia, Vietnam and parts of Germany. The Police, Fire Service, Coastguard and Marine Conservation Society have also expressed their concern. However, Farming Minister Jim Paice has said that the Government needs 'more evidence' before further steps can be taken.
With Strangles Awareness Week just around the corner (5-11 May), vets are being encouraged to share a survey about the disease with their horse-owning clients.
