Overview
- CFIA confirmed it carried out a depopulation of roughly 300 ostriches at Universal Ostrich Farms in Edgewood under the Health of Animals Act after an H5N1 outbreak was confirmed in December 2024.
- The agency says marksmen shot the birds inside a corralled enclosure as the most appropriate and humane option, after considering lethal injection or gas.
- RCMP say they are investigating reported vandalism at a CFIA office in Kelowna where an expletive was smeared on the building’s front.
- Police are also reviewing aerial footage of the pen despite a Transport Canada flight restriction over the site, with no enforcement action taken to date and the notice still in place.
- The farm’s spokesperson condemned the cull and pledged to continue legal and public campaigns, as Rebel News published post-cull drone video showing carcasses within a hay enclosure.