AMMAN: The Ornithological Society of Jordan will today officially announce the inclusion of the common plastic bag – Plasticus Carrefouricus – to its list of indigenous Jordanian birds. Experts are now predicting that several subspecies, including the Greater Black Bag and the Mottled Brown Bag, will soon be added as the population of this animal rapidly expands across the country.

“They are in such abundance that we simply couldn’t deny their existence any longer,” said OSJ spokesperson Shrike Al-Fulmar Sharif. “These majestic, Polyethylene creatures have come to symbolise the very fabric of Jordan and its nature”

Sightings of the Plasticus Carrefouricus are commonplace on the road to the Dead Sea, in the Dead Sea and on the shoreline of the Dead Sea. Birdwatchers have also noted large numbers in and around the Ajloun Forest carpark, the colonnade at the Treasury in Petra, the Dana Reserve and the Aqaba Marina Park. Last week in Wadi Rum, there was a rumoured sighting of the much fabled Great Spanned Beige Bag, but it eventually turned out to be a discarded PVC Bedouin tent.

Typically herbivorous, the Plasticus Carrefouricus feeds by wrapping itself around endangered plants. Experts claim they can remain in this state for up to 100 years.

“For years, Jordanians have been dedicated to releasing these magnificent, non-biodegradable animals from captivity out of car windows,” added Sharif. “Now it’s time for them to be formally recognised so we can ensure their continued preservation.”