Hundreds of dead ravens fall from the sky in Russian village, leave experts baffled

In a strange incident that took place in Russia, hundreds of dead ravens fell from the sky, baffling locals and experts alike. According to media reports, “several hundred” of the birds have been falling each day, while other animals and birds apparently appeared unharmed. The incident reportedly took place in the Russian village of Ust-Tarka, which is located in Novosibirsk Oblast in south-western Siberia. Local veterinary department officials have carried out tests to figure the cause of mass deaths among the bird. According to Sergei Kuzlyakin, chief physician of the Ust-Tarksk veterinary department, this is the first time he has witnessed such a phenomenon since he began working in 1975. The physician added that he was “shocked” over the event. He suspected that the ravens had been poisoned, stating that the results of the test would help determine what poison had been used, according to NSK. While the bodies of some ravens have been sent to Novosibirsk to be analysed, other birds have been collected up and cremated. Ornithologist Alexei Yanovsky went a step ahead of Kuzlyakin and suggested that the ravens might have ingested pesticides, if the theory of the birds being poisoned holds true. He also theorised that the rooks could have been poisoned deliberately. Local residents have become fearful after seeing the bodies of the black-feathered birds falling from the sky and littering the streets. According to media reports, the locals are experiencing anxiety after the incident. Some experts have predicted that the phenomenon of dead birds falling from the sky is an omen signifying that the end of the world is near, and termed the event as “aflockalypse”. In 2013, reports had of dead pigeons falling from the sky and behaving like “zombies” had come to light in Russia. Some of the birds were also seen flying straight into the faces of passers-by. Many referred to the incident as “pigeon apocalypse.”