Abiding by the law and wearing masks is a great thing, what we don’t realise is that while these single-use masks and protective gear might be saving our lives, they are endangering the existence of the fauna around us. 

Small animals and birds, on land and in the ocean, unfortunately, get tangled, in the elastic bands of the discarded masks. 

They have a hard time dealing with the influx of these alien objects that they see around them, either washed on the shores, discarded in open spaces or sitting in dumpsters. 

For birds, the elastic bands of the disposed masks often get stuck in their claws or webbed feet, restricting their movement and hampering their everyday practices. 

This is an image of a fish choked to death because of being trapped in a single-use, discarded face mask.   

But what if I told you that there was a way in which we could save the innocent lives of naive animals? 

There’s a responsible way of disposing single-use face masks that’ll ensure that lesser or no animals or birds get harmed because of our human waste. 

All you have to do is, either snip the elastic bands of the single-use face masks before discarding them or just cut them from the center, into two parts. 

Currently, according to reports, there are more face masks than jellyfish in the ocean. While mother nature is healing and animals are reclaiming spaces with zero human intrusion, the oceans are paying the price of our safety. 

Please, let us all make a conscious effort to use reusable, washable masks and protective gear like rubber gloves instead of single-use plastic.