A 5-month-old Australian girl is dead after a tragic accident in a park near her home.
The infant, a little girl named Mia, was being held by her mother, Simone, as they walked though Glindemann Park in Holland Park West. Simone was startled when a magpie swooped at her and the baby.
As she turned her body to protect Mia, she tripped. This led to the tragic death of Mia, devastating Simone and her husband, Jacob, who saw the whole thing happen and could do nothing to stop it.
This story first appeared on LittleThings in August 2021.
Following the fall, Mia was transported to Queensland Children's Hospital. "We responded to reports that a mum had fallen with a baby in her arms, reportedly ducking to avoid a magpie," a Queensland Ambulance Service spokeswoman told Perth Now.
Sadly, Mia succumbed to her injuries at the hospital later that day.
The accident happened just weeks after different scientists realized that magpies had started their swooping earlier in the season than usual. The swooping aerial assaults happen during the birds' breeding season, from July to December.
"Swooping season only occurs when the male magpies are defending the chicks in the nest," Sean Dooley from BirdLife Australia told The New York Post.
"While it's only the male magpies that swoop and only 10 percent of males do swoop … the consequences, especially when people are caught unaware, can be truly terrifying and devastating."
Family members wrote about the magnitude of the loss on a GoFundMe page started for Simone and Jacob.
"Beautiful she was, and loved by all who got to meet her. The joy Mia brought to all of our lives cannot be described in words, but is certainly felt in all of our hearts," they wrote.
"Jacob and Simone have not asked for anything but time, time to grieve the loss of their stunning little ray of sunshine. We as family will forever be here for them, to love, cherish and support them through the good times and the bad."
The money will be used to cover the funeral expenses and give the couple some time to mourn the loss. Thus far, it's raised $131,341 AUD, over the $100,000 goal.
Local residents are hoping that more will be done to warn parkgoers of the magpies, including the particularly aggressive ones known to frequent that park. Some feel this tragedy could have been prevented, while others are only hoping to prevent any further tragedies from occurring.
