Improperly disposed of waste in the biggest problem here! Often times humans tend to throw waste in knotted plastic bags. As livestock are unable to open the bags, they eat the entire package which leads them to eat plastics.
Cows and indeed other ruminants with mineral deficiency tend to eat/slow all kinds of thing: bar soap, clothes, salty staff etc. Oftentimes, ruminants get to eat from rubbish bin in the cities/ urban settlements. It is normal to find cattle, goats, and pigs feeding from rubbish dump where they eat all sorts of offensive stuff including plastics.
Plastic materials cannot be digested by the animal’s digestive system, including for man. If the pieces of plastics are small, they may go throw the system and be passed out with the dung without incidents. However, when the pieces are large and mangled, there are chances of interference with the proper functioning of the animal’s digestive system. The digestive system of a cow is complex, as they have four stomachs. Whatever they eat has to go through all the chambers (Stomachs) to be eliminated. Nothing on earth can disintegrate a plastic bag. When a cow slows plastic bag, it gets stuck in the first, second, third and fourth stomach of the cow and it never gets out of the body.
A problem arises when the stuck plastic materials obstruct the digestive system and interfere with the normal passage of ingesta. The animal may not be able to feed properly, may suffer bouts of indigestion, constipation, breathing problems among others. In the long run, the animal will lose body conditions and suffer loss of productivity, and the cow may die.
It is a personal responsibility of all of us to dispose of our waste in a responsible manner as we strive to rid our environment off ‘Plastic Pollution’.
Related article: https://earthfinds.co.ug/index.php/en/tourism/environment/item/3881-why-you-should-not-cook-or-eat-food-cooked-in-polythene-other-plastics
The writer works with Bio Vision Africa as Program Officer, Communications & Publicity [email protected]
