Hundreds of dead starfish washed up on a beach in Kent, England, and native officials are warning people to steer clear of them for fear of potential disease.
Thanet District Council advised beachgoers to avoid the carcasses of the creatures, which were found at Margate Beach, based on the BBC.
“Members of the general public are advised to not try to move any stranded sea life and to maintain dogs and kids away from them, as they might have infectious or transferable diseases,” it said.
Photos and a video of the mass death were posted to Facebook by wildlife conservationist Nik Mitchell on his Get Wild page.
The finding, which was reported to local environmental agencies on Tuesday, isn’t unusual, especially after stormy weather, based on an authority.
Starfish sometimes “fold up their arms and roll along the ocean floor,” Dr Angus Jackson, a knowledge analyst on the Marine Conservation Society, told the outlet.
“Strandings like this occasionally occur right around our coastline, but this looks to be a very large event.”
