Thursday will be Guy Fawkes' night and those involved in firework displays should take time to consider livestock that may be nearby and to avoid causing them any unnecessary stress.
Fireworks are a long established part of celebrations at this time of year. However, each year brings reports of cattle, sheep, horses and dogs being scared and traumatised by the irresponsible use of them. Their loud bangs, cracklings and flashing lights can be frightening for farm livestock, pets and wildlife.
Although winter is approaching, livestock can still be found in many of the fields around Scotland's cities, towns and villages. Taking the time to inform their keepers of any public or private displays may prevent any unnecessary suffering for those animals. Similarly, where livestock have been housed for the winter in sheds that are close to public places, consideration should be given to the wellbeing of the animals before any fireworks are set off nearby.
Farm animals have been literally scared to death - startled animals have been injured, killed and caused accidents when stampeding or bolting, such as horses running through barbed wire fences. Even when securely stabled, panicked horses regularly injure themselves banging into or kicking against walls.
Every year there are various other examples of the harm caused, including wild birds flying into overhead cables, while startled turkeys and broiler chickens can smother and injure themselves after huddling on top of each other in the corner of their shed. Disturbing domestic pets can also be dangerous as they can be vicious and destructive when panicked.
This is also a good time to remind people of the dangers of releasing Chinese, or Sky lanterns. Their design consists of a fire-resistant paper canopy attached to a wire, or bamboo frame so that it acts like a parachute that becomes airborne with the heat generated by a fuel cell.
Chinese lanterns have become exceptionally popular across Britain, with up to 8 million sold every year to celebrate birthdays, weddings and annual festivals. They can look spectacular, but once airborne they cannot be controlled. They can soar to a height of 1200 feet and travel, unsupervised, long distances in the wind.
They might appear to be an attractive and harmless idea, but they are potential firebombs if they land on ripe crops, straw, forestry or rough grass in a dry spell. The fire risk associated with these lanterns is significant, posing a threat to homes, businesses and lives in both urban and rural areas.
Even after it has finished flaming, the fuel cell of a lantern can register a spot temperature of over 200DegC - and even after two minutes it can be around the 100DegC mark.
A sky lantern was at the centre of a fire which destroyed an industrial trailer full of wheelie bins in Kirkcaldy on October 12th.
Perhaps the worst example of their destructive capacity was recorded by CCTV video when a massive fire was started by one at a recycling plant in the West Midlands in the summer of 2013. That major incident was attended by over 200 fire-fighters, 30 fire appliances and three hydraulic platforms.
The wire frames of these lanterns are also potentially lethal to grazing animals that may inadvertently ingest small, rusty fragments. Pieces of wire can puncture stomachs and lead to peritonitis that can be fatal.
The wire can also be chopped up by forage harvesters to contaminate silage, or pieces of it may be incorporated into bales of hay or straw. Fragments of wire may also be picked up by combines when harvesting cereal crops, leading to contamination of grain. Often as not, painful and expensive surgery by a vet is required to rectify the problems in affected livestock.
Those harmless looking bits of wire can also become entwined round the hooves and legs of farm animals, leading to nasty cuts and infections.
On top of all that, Chinese lanterns also pose a risk to aviation, and coastal rescue services have been wrongly deployed because they were incorrectly identified as distress flares when drifting near the sea.
NFU Scotland continues to call for local authorities to ban the sale of sky lanterns and, in common with others in the rest of the UK, seven Scottish councils have now done so. They are: Aberdeen, Aberdeen City, Angus, Falkirk, Highland, Shetland Islands and Orkney Islands.
Finally, always remember to check there are no hedgehogs sleeping under your bonfire before you light it.
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