Judge Halts Cull of 400 B.C. Ostriches Over Avian Flu Concerns

Federal court grants temporary reprieve, citing potential irreparable harm to the farm and the birds' unique genetic value.

Justice Michael Battista stayed the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's (CFIA) cull order, allowing time for judicial review of the decision.
The CFIA issued the cull order after detecting avian flu in two ostriches in late December, citing public health risks and the possibility of virus mutation.
Farm owners argued the ostriches' genetics are critical for ongoing antibody research and that the herd had largely recovered from the illness by mid-January.
The court acknowledged the potential closure of the 25-year-old farm and the loss of decades of genetic cultivation as irreparable harm.
The farm remains under quarantine, and no date has been set for the judicial review to determine the final outcome of the case.