- Red balloons popping up across Sydney have been labelled a hazard for wildlife
- The balloons popped up in storm drains and grates in Sydney and Melbourne
- In anticipation for the It movie release the red balloons were a promotional tool
- Dr Rupert Baker from Healesville Sanctuary said the balloons were a hazard
Red balloons spotted across Sydney and Melbourne have been labelled a hazard for wildlife who may come across them.
In anticipation for the release of horror movie It, red balloons were tied atop of storm drains and sewer grates but a senior veterinarian believes the promotional tool could be harmful.
Doctor Rupert Baker from Healesville Sanctuary told Ross and John from 3AW the red balloons, known as the calling card of killer clown Pennywise in the horror movie It, can be harmful to platypus or water birds.
Red balloons popping up across Sydney have been labelled a hazard for wildlife who may come across them
The balloons were accompanied by a caption reading: ‘It is closer than you think’
‘We’ve had wild platypus come in entangled in all kinds of plastic and that’s from things that people have accidentally left behind let alone guerrilla marketing.’ Dr Baker said.
‘We end up with balloons going into waterways, they also drift hundreds of kilometres, believe it or not, up to 800 kilometres, so going to into the oceans.’
He said the left over plastic can be picked up by the platypus and wildlife.
Daily Mail Australia understands the balloons were removed by the marketing company after the promotion ended.
Doctor Rupert Bake said the red balloons can be harmful to platypus or water birds (pictured)
People took to Twitter on Monday morning to post photos of the random balloons which cropped up across the New South Wales capital city overnight
In the story, the red balloon means the clown is close by and is used to lure in a victim