5-Month-Old Dies After Mom Trips While Trying to Avoid Magpie: Pain Is 'Unimaginable,' Says Dad

A 5-month-old girl died under “tragic circumstances” in an Australian park after a magpie swooped down on her mother as she carried her, causing the parent to trip and fall, according tolocalreports.

“This horrible world dealt a blow no one could ever imagine,” they said. “Shattering everyone’s hearts, and crushing [her parents'] Jacob and Simone’s world in the blink of an eye where no day would ever be the same. No words can begin to describe the torture Jacob and Simone are going through.”

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Magpies are known to aggressively swoop perceived threats to their nesting areas during breeding season, which lasts from June to December. They are aprotected speciesin Australia.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said there will be a full investigation into the incident, and that the magpie has been removed from the park, theTimesreported.

“The loss of five month old Mia, in such tragic circumstances, is something that has shocked our community to the absolute core,” SchrinnerwroteonTwitter. “This was a tragic accident that was impossible to predict but we will do whatever we can to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”

Mia’s father Jacob told theDaily Mail Australiathat his daughter “brought joy to everyone’s lives with her infectious smile, her pure innocence and her adorable laugh.”

“Our whole world has been taken from us and the pain we are experiencing is unimaginable,” he said. “We are so grateful for the most precious gift we ever received.”

A website calledMagpie Alerttracks aggressive magpies in Australia and notes that this year, there have been 228 attacks and 25 injuries.

In 2019, a cyclist in Wollongong, Australia was killed after he tried to escape a swooping magpie and crashed into a fence post,ABC Newsreported.

source: people.com