The Culling of Ostriches in Canada Has Been Completed Due to Avian Flu

• In British Columbia, over 300 ostriches have been culled due to avian flu.
• Farmers attempted to challenge the culling decision, but the court rejected it.
• Support for the culled ostriches came from American politicians and activists.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency reported that the culling of all ostriches on the farm in British Columbia has been completed. This was the result of the execution of an order for culling that lasted for ten months due to outbreaks of avian flu.

The Universal Ostrich Farms, located in Edgewood, where the culling took place under the supervision of veterinarians, lost between 300 and 330 birds. According to CFIA representatives, the culling was conducted humanely, with the participation of professional shooters.

Farm managers attempted to challenge this order in court, asserting that the remaining ostriches did not show signs of infection and should be left alive. However, the Supreme Court of Canada refused to hear their case, which gave the green light for the execution of the order.

Support for the farm came from various sources, including American politician Robert Kennedy Jr., who urged the Canadian government to reconsider the decision. Other activists, including physician Mehmet Oz, advocated for transporting the ostriches to the U.S., but the farmers declined, wanting to keep them in Canada.

As a result of the culling of the ostriches, which, according to farm representatives, could have been important for scientific research, protests emerged from local residents and activists who took to the streets to defend the animals.