Dead birds found in Kentucky, Sweden, as crabs wash up in United Kingdom

Doomsday believers got more signs of the apocalypse on Wednesday, as reports of mass animal deaths continued to emerge around the world.

Hundreds of dead birds were found on the streets in Murray, Kentucky, officials announced Wednesday, marking the second time this week that the state has made such a discovery. Earlier in the week, several dozen dead birds were found in Gilbertsville Kentucky, according to local station WPSD.

The animal deaths in the western part of the state seem to have occurred last week, according to state officials, who told The Associated Press they discovered the dead grackles, red wing blackbirds, robins and starlings after someone called police with a tip.

Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources spokesman Mark Marraccini said the birds were not found to have diseases and did not appear to have ingested poisons, based on test results. He cited weather or natural events as possible explanations, according to the AP.

Sweden also reported discovering 50 dead jackdaw birds on a street in Stockholm, while 40,000 dead crabs washed up on beaches in England, according to European media reports.

These reports come on the heels of a string of mass animal death stories from Arkansas, Maryland, Brazil and New Zealand, which have caused many to joke or speculate that the world is on the verge of the apocalypse.

So far, however, each incident has been accompanied by a seemingly scientific explanation.

The birds in Kentucky may have died as a result of fireworks in the area, officials told the AP, while environmental experts say cold water likely led to the demise of the crabs in the U.K.

Cold water was also labeled the culprit in the deaths of millions of fish in Maryland's Chesapeake Bay this week.

That may be the result of climate change -- this winter marked the chilliest December to hit Britain in 120 years, according to the Daily Mail.

The panic began when roughly 5,000 dead blackbirds dropped from the sky on New Years Day in Beebe, Ark, causing some residents to call 911.

"They are like bleeding out of the mouth and some of them are not dead. I think they have been poisoned," said one caller, in a 911 call released this week.

Despite the unusual timing of the events, officials say the explanation is probably nothing out of the ordinary.

As wildlife expert Tony Child told the Star, "It's just part of the circle of life."

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