Oriental darters, iconic residents of the 165-year-old city zoo, face a new threat from plastic and cloth debris infiltrating their nests and endangering their lives. A recent study reveals disturbing findings: adult darters are tangled in waste, struggle to remove it, and even inadvertently feed it to their chicks. With some chicks perishing due to parental challenges in feeding, urgent action is needed to address this issue. The zoo, designated as a plastic-free zone, underscores the importance of raising awareness about responsible waste management to safeguard these near-threatened birds and their habitats.