Rein in ‘killer’ kites in Tanjung Aru, urge birdwatchers

Flight risk: Rare birds in Tanjung Aru are already vulnerable due to ongoing coastal development, and kite-flying could further endanger them, warn conservationists.

KOTA KINABALU: Something unsettling has been happening at Tanjung Aru Beach, with birdwatchers and beachgoers repeatedly coming across bird carcasses caught high in the trees, tangled in kite strings left drifting in the sea breeze.

The sightings have become frequent enough to alarm nature lovers and conservationists, who are now urging authorities to either ban kite-flying at the beach or strictly regulate it.