Balloon release warning after calf choked to death

A Fife farmer has urged the public to think twice about releasing helium balloons and lanterns into the sky after a calf choked to death.

Kraig Kerr, who works at Barns Farm near Dalgety Bay, found the three-month-old with its mum in a field next to the remains of a plastic balloon on Monday.

The 32-year-old said the calf had likely caught the balloon from a nearby fence before chewing it and inhaling it, causing it to choke.

Local charity Animal Concern urged the Scottish government and local councils to ban sky lanterns and helium balloons from being released.

Speaking to BBC Scotland News, Kerr said: "I was just doing routine checks and I saw the calf lying down from afar with the ewe next to it, then I walked over and saw a crumpled up helium balloon next to its head.

"The body was clearly fresh - it had just happened that morning.

"It looked like (the balloon) had got stuck down their throat to the point where it couldn't breathe."

He added: "When a natural death occurs, it is tragic and it can be hard to move on from.

"But when it is something like this, that could have been prevented, it is heart-breaking."

Kerr, who has been a farmer since he was 18 years old, said this was the sixth helium balloon he had found in his fields this year.

"Releasing balloons is just as bad as throwing a plastic bag out your car window," he said. "It is littering and it should be treated as such.

"If people are releasing a balloon in memory of loved one, why don't they plant something instead, like a shrub or a plant, that can have a positive environmental impact rather than a negative?

"I lost my mum at a young age and my dad told me to plant a shrub in memory of her and it's still there today."

Fife is one of 25 Scottish councils that have already banned sky lanterns or helium balloons from being released on council-owned land, according to Animal Concern.

A charity spokesperson said: "Local authorities and the Scottish government must pursue bans on both as a matter of urgency so that no more animals needlessly lose their lives in such a painful and awful way."

Local SNP MSP David Barratt said the incident was a "heart-breaking" reminder that "what goes up must come down."

"Most people who release balloons are doing so with the very best of intentions, whether celebrating a special occasion or remembering a loved one," he said.

"Sadly, very few ever see where those balloons eventually end up.

"In recent weeks I've also been contacted by a local beach clean organiser who has highlighted the number of discarded balloons being found on our beaches and caught in trees around the area.

"What begins as a thoughtful gesture can unfortunately become litter many miles away, putting livestock, pets and wildlife at risk."

He encouraged locals to consider "environmentally friendly" alternatives to balloon releases.

Barratt said he was planning to raise the issue with Fife Council and the Scottish government to help prevent further incidents like this.