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yesterday

Canada to Cull 400 Ostriches in Avian Flu Outbreak Despite U.S. Rescue Offers

The CFIA has reaffirmed its order to humanely depopulate roughly 400 ostriches at a British Columbia farm following an H5N1 outbreak.

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Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, attends a Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission Event in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Washington.
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Overview

  • The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has confirmed it will cull about 400 ostriches at Universal Ostrich Farm after a December H5N1 outbreak killed 69 birds and a Federal Court upheld the order in May.
  • Farm owners Karen Espersen and Dave Bilinski have filed a Federal Court appeal seeking a stay of the depopulation order, arguing the agency erred in its mandate interpretation and legal process.
  • U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Mehmet Oz have offered to relocate the flock to Oz’s Florida ranch, but the owners say they prefer to keep the birds in Canada.
  • The CFIA and Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald maintain the cull is essential to safeguard public health and Canada’s $6.8 billion poultry industry after more than 8.7 million birds were killed by avian flu in B.C. since 2022.
  • Protesters have gathered at the Edgewood farm to try to prevent the cull as the legal challenge moves toward the next stage.