As the global pandemic continues, animals are increasingly becoming entangled in discarded face coverings, putting their lives at risk.
Hundreds of animals have already been rescued from disposable mask entanglement in recent months, Yahoo! News reported, alerting us to the importance of snipping mask straps before throwing them away and using environmentally-friendly masks and face shields whenever possible.
In one heartbreaking example, a bird died in April, during the early stages of North America’s lockdown, after reportedly spending two days entangled in a disposable mask.
Photographer Steve Shipley even captured images of an endangered peregrine falcon struggling to free his talons from a mask.
To prevent further suffering and tragedy, please cut your mask’s strings before throwing away the disposable face coverings, similarly to how it’s now common practice in many households to snip plastic six-pack rings before discarding them to avoid harming wildlife.
Another way to protect animals is to opt for an environmentally-friendly face covering, such as a reusable cloth mask. While these masks are not medical-grade quality, they are generally considered acceptable for everyday use. And for as little as $1 each, cloth masks are available in a variety of colors, patterns, and sustainable materials.
Plastic pollution, including medical gloves and masks, already posed enormous threats to animals before the COVID-19 crisis began. Every year, an estimated 136,000 seals, sea lions, and large whales die from plastic entanglement, as well as “inestimable” birds, sea turtles, and other species, according to World Animal Protection. Now that mask-wearing is a part of daily life in many places, conservationists fear that these numbers will dramatically increase.
As we adjust to the “new normal” of life during a pandemic, we must live up to our responsibility to dispose of single-use masks properly, and avoid creating waste whenever possible by resorting to eco-friendly alternatives.

Snip your masks!!
I really wish there was a way to share articles like this one. I can’t find a way to share. Am I missing something?
Another downside of this pandemic-more trash that people drop anywhere they ant and danger to widlifeI find these horrid disposable masks on the road and I will now “fix” them if I see them.
Animals are at high risk and it is essential that there are laws created to protect them from stupid uncaring human behaviour.
Oh no!!!! More problems for the animals and wildlife.
Why was this not made known? Animals are at risk more from plastic than humans.
Qui n’aime pas les animaux ne s’aime pas soi-même !
Yeah, because the bleepers couldn’t possibly put them in the trash.
Yes, I do realize that they can get them from the land fill.
The bands pull off pretty easy.
Yeah, because the bleepers couldn’t possibly put them in the trash.
Yes, I do realize that they can get them from the land fill.
The bands pull off pretty easy.
Innocent animals should have laws to better protect them. Unfortunately,animals are not seen as precious gifts from God.
Please Everyone snip off those straps!!!
Please Everyone snip off those straps!!!
I used disposable gloves to pick one up today, cut the strings off and threw it out.
We use reusable masks. But once in a while we have to go with disposable
We’ve been cutting the strings AND making sure they’re properly thrown away.
We’ll do anything suggested to keep the Earth clean, and wildlife protected.
What really gets me is the amount of masks I see lying around, outside of stores and such.
Those clueless buttheads won’t bother to clip anything – they can’t even get ’em to a trash bin.
And there are trash bins all the heck over the place – they’re not being hidden.
I guess The Honor System no longer exists ☹
All equipment that are used to protect humans from the CVoviod 19 disease including the PPE’s are dangerous for animals both on land, air and sea. The government and private orgnizations must do something rto find a safer way for the disposal of PPE’s and masks.
We must be more responsible with how dispose of Covid PPE.
All equipment that are used to protect humans from the CVoviod 19 disease including the PPE’s are dangerous for animals both on land, air and sea. The government and private orgnizations must do something rto find a safer way for the disposal of PPE’s and masks.
Important to circulate & share!!
Easy enough to do. Good for the animals lives good for the environment. Just do it folks.
The people who are most likely to respond to this story are the ones who are least likely to make an impact.
Proper disposal methods make it impossible for animals to become entangled with garbage or recyclables.
This is the same exact issue that happened with 6-pack plastic banding and aluminum pop-top tabs.
The sources of the problem are scofflaws and municipalities who practice waste dumping without environmental controls.
I’m afraid you’re right
We have been disposing of mask properly. Cutting up plastic soda bottle holders – when we have them
We do so many things to honor our Earth, and am dismayed at the ones who just don’t get it.
We’ll never stop
The way so many people throw their masks away anywhere instead of putting them in the garbage is just irresponsible. It makes me really angry. What’s so difficult about using a dustbin?
The way so many people throw their masks away anywhere instead of putting them in the garbage is just irresponsible. It makes me really angry. What’s so difficult about using a dustbin?
How about throwing the masks in a garbage can instead of all over… I have seen so many just flying around on the beach. If I could pick up trash 24/7 I would. Sad
Life will be better for these animals when Covid 19 eliminates close to 7.7 billion people with the exception of good animal lovers with a Nuclear Heart. Dog Bless.. [email protected]
EXCELLENT POINT. THANK YOU! HONESTLY, I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT THAT OBVIOUS POINT! I AM ALREADY SPREADING THE WORD TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
EXCELLENT POINT. THANK YOU! HONESTLY, I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT THAT OBVIOUS POINT! I AM ALREADY SPREADING THE WORD TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
Will do. Let’s work together and save both the planet and the animals, they depend on us