In a world where we often hear about the negative impacts of waste and the importance of recycling, it's easy to forget that sometimes, amidst discarded items and refuse, life can find a way to assert itself in the most unexpected places.

This was precisely the case for a Queensland couple who, during what they thought would be a routine trip to the local tip, stumbled upon a discovery that was as shocking as it was heartwarming.

During a routine ‘tip run’, an Australian couple made an ‘absolutely disgusting’ discovery when they heard an unsettling noise coming from inside a large bin filled with rubbish.

The faint sound of an animal from the ‘massive skip’ prompted the woman to investigate further, leading to a ‘crazy’ find inside a small bag.

A Queensland couple found two live chicks hatching in a rubbish bin at a tip near McKay. Credits: Facebook

The couple, who had set out about an hour from Mackay, discovered two live chicks amidst the rubbish in one bin, which were still in the process of hatching from their eggs.

The woman said it was not ‘what I thought I'd ever find’ at the waste site.

‘Yesterday was crazy. Went to do a tip run when we could hear cheeping coming from the dumpster,’ she recalled.

‘We were about to throw our garbage on top of a bag with live hatching chicks in it! Of course, we jumped in that massive skip bin and investigated, and wow—I'm so glad we did.’

Later, the woman posted about the disturbing discovery, along with the positive outcome for the abandoned birds, in a dumpster diving group on social media.

‘One hatched in my lap on the way back home, the other needed help out of the shell…but so far, we have two healthy chicks from a sealed bag in a dumpster,’ she posted.

This troubling yet uplifting discovery is part of a broader, more concerning trend of live poultry being ‘dumped’ at waste sites and even on people's properties across the nation.

Just months prior, a live rooster was found in a charity bin in Adelaide.

A NSW-based animal rescuer shared how people continually leave bagged live chickens on her lawn—a disturbing practice that seems to be on the rise.

The public's reaction to the woman's post was a mix of gratitude for the rescue and outrage at the thought of someone discarding the chicks like rubbish.

‘That's actually disgusting that somebody would just throw them out,’ a commenter expressed. ‘I'd be reporting that to the RSPCA.’

‘Oh wow, I'm over the moon these precious chicks were saved. You were meant to be there,’ another remarked.

‘You were there at the right time. I wonder if the owner thought the eggs were likely rotten (at an old or abandoned nest)—hence the bag in case they broke?’ a third speculated.

Another woman, less forgiving, questioned, ‘What b****** would throw these babies in the bin?’

In Queensland, as in other jurisdictions around Australia, abandoning or releasing an animal without a reasonable excuse or legal authority is a serious offence, punishable by up to one year in prison.

The woman who discovered the chicks mentioned she wasn't sure whether the person who discarded the eggs was aware that they were fertile or on the verge of hatching.

‘It's hard to prove, sadly,’ she lamented.

The RSPCA has been contacted regarding the increase in reports of poultry dumping, highlighting the need for greater awareness and stricter enforcement of animal welfare laws.

As discussions around the disturbing dumpster diving discovery gain traction, another tragic incident underscores the dangers lurking in unexpected places.

A recent unfortunate event at a Westfield charity bin serves as a grim reminder of the hazards associated with certain public spaces.

These incidents shed light on the need for increased awareness and proactive measures to ensure the safety of individuals in everyday environments.

Key Takeaways

• A Queensland woman and her partner made a shocking discovery of two live chicks in the process of hatching inside a rubbish bin at a tip about an hour from McKay.
• The woman shared the incident with a dumpster diving group on social media, revealing the chicks were rescued and are healthy.
• The discovery of the chicks followed what appears to be a nationwide trend of people dumping live poultry at homes and waste sites, which is a serious offence in Australia.
• Australians responded to the woman's post with gratitude for the rescue of the chicks and outrage at their abandonment, while the RSPCA has been alerted to the increase in reports of poultry dumping.

Have you encountered similar situations in your community? What measures do you think could be taken to prevent such occurrences? Let's discuss and raise awareness about the importance of animal welfare and the impact of our actions on the environment in the comments below.

 

[Kman]

With avian virus now spreading across Australia, it may be more prudent to leave the poultry behind rather than 'rescue'.

 

[Towing]

Several years ago somebody in a garbage dumped some labrador puppies in a permanent bin on the footpath outside a Caltex Starmart - worse still during a heatwave. When found some had died, some were too ill to save, and they were able to save one or two that needed intensive care at a vet's for several days. To my knowledge the culprit was never found. If somebody couldn't keep them why not take them to an Animal Shelter or a Vet for them to care for them. Not only is it inhumane but those puppies could have a person's life if given the right training.