A farmer in India blamed the extremely loud music and fireworks at a traditional wedding on Sunday for the death of 63 of his chickens.
“I asked the band operators to lower the volume as the music was too noisy and terrifying the chickens. But they did not listen, and the groom’s friends shouted at me,” farmer Ranjit Kumar Parida told news agency AFP.
Parida said party organizers were blasting out “ear-splitting noise” near his chicken farm in the eastern state of Odisha. The 2000 animals at his farm were anxious from the loud music, and 63 died. A veterinarian told Parida the chickens had died of a heart attack.
Zoology professor Suryakanta Mishra told The Hindustan Times that birds are more vulnerable to cardiovascular disease when they hear loud noises.
According to Mishra, chickens live by a circadian rhythm that is controlled by the natural light of day and night. “Sudden excitement or stress due to loud music could disrupt their biological clock,” Mishra said.
Parida filed a police complaint on Monday after the wedding organizers refused to pay compensation, but according to AFP has withdrawn the complaint.
The Animal Reader is a small, independent news platform with daily posts about issues affecting animals.
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