Gory truth behind white bags tied to poles found in Aussie suburbs

White bags tied to electrical poles in Queensland has caused confusion among residents, who were shocked by the grim reason behind them.

The bags sadly contain deceased wildlife who have died on powerlines, with workers at power supply organisations putting them in a bag and taping or tying them to poles to be collected and discarded by the council.

Queensland electricity company Energex's website says it's not uncommon for wildlife to come into contact with the network.

"Not only can it harm the animals, but it can also damage our electricity network and create power outages," the website reads.

If a deceased animal is found, only Energex crews are able to remove the animal for Workplace Health and Safety reasons.

"Once removed, the animal is bagged and left at the power pole for the council to arrange for appropriate disposal," the company says.

Many animals get stuck in equipment

The ABC reported the mysterious bags in the Queensland suburb of Wilston after resident Craig Alpen questioned their appearance.

Energex spokesman Danny Donald told the publication that 445 electricity outages were caused by wildlife getting caught on powerlines or in transformers in Queensland in 2021.

Mr Donald told the ABC that animals like birds and possums were the most common animals they found, but there have been instances of snakes and frogs, saying generally they become stuck when they crawl into hard-to-reach equipment.

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Sometimes wildlife-proofing devices can be installed on the equipment to restrict animal access and to restrict the animals access to it.

Residents are told to call Energex if a deceased animal is found on powerlines near their house and to call the RSPCA if an animal is sick, injured or orphaned.

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