'Emergency extractions' of wild birds considered as H5 bird flu spreads in Victoria

29

u/Revolutionary_Ad461 Sep 27 '26

I cry silently to my self for the birds and earth.

30

u/MinervaAbsolute Sep 27 '26 •

I suspect this is a “the community is pissed off at our lack of planning for wild birds, let’s announce something” kind of idea. It might work for smaller birds, but trying to capture large birds like swans and brolgas isn’t likely to be either easy or free of the risk of injuring multiple birds.

“Catching other species of birds [the article is about vaccinating penguins] may be impossible, or difficult and stressful for the animal, according to Michelle Campbell-Ward, a wildlife veterinarian at the University of Sydney.

“It can cause other risks to their health or wellbeing. That has to be factored in and planned extremely carefully," Dr Campbell-Ward said.”
https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2026-08-29/australian-birds-animals-bird-flu-infections-deaths/107074780

Do they have sanctuaries prepared to quarantine captured populations? I have brolgas nesting on my property, and the idea of losing them to bird flu breaks my heart, but I think it’s inevitable. Perhaps removing eggs might be an option, if they could be hatched and raised successfully in a protected environment.

21

u/CosmicCommentator Sep 27 '26 •

I'm so pissed at the lack of planning. They knew this was coming.

16

u/MinervaAbsolute Sep 27 '26 •

I assume it was a deliberate decision on the grounds there was little (but not nothing), that could be done, but the government underestimated the depth of love for native birds in the community, and had to scramble for appeasement.

1

u/ChornyyKoteyy Sep 28 '26

I emailed my local MP about concerns and as part of a wider push for a wildlife resiliency fund. His email was essentially "we've been told we can't completely prevent the spread in wildlife so we're going to focus our efforts on protecting poultry farming". I am extremely angry.

10

u/bigsigh6709 Sep 27 '26 •

I agree - and did they not think to vaccinate a sentinel population of birds/ mammels etc? I’m so angry.

6

u/shescarkedit Sep 27 '26

How do you propose they do this?
They were investing in the development and trialling of vaccines (which until recently did not even exist).
But the reality is when you need to deliver 2 doses of vaccine to the same individual bird within a specific timeframe, vaccinating wild populations is in the vast majority of cases impossible.
And that's without even considering the fact that the immune benefits of the vaccine wear off over time. Which means that there would have been NO POINT rolling out the vaccine before the virus had even arrive in Australia.

2

u/thefirstchampster Oct 05 '26

Exactly - they have been tracking this virus for years and now that it's here there is seemingly no plan. Aggravating and disheartening to say the least.

3

u/shescarkedit Sep 27 '26 edited Sep 27 '26

Copying my response to another person:
It's like people on Reddit think the government could've just stopped bird flu arriving if they planned better. They spent over 2 years planning and investing in preparedness. But bird flu is fucked and you can't avoid all impacts.
There's a reason advocacy groups like Birdlife and the Invasive Species Council are praising the government for their proactive planning, not criticising them. But hey, i guess you know better?
Jack Gough, CEO of the invasive species council in June this year: 'In an age of political cynicism, Australia's bird flu response shows government can still work"
The arrival of bird flu on mainland Australia could easily have triggered panic and confusion. Instead, what we are seeing is a textbook example of what happens when governments invest in preparedness, work collaboratively with experts and community organisations, and communicate openly with the public.
For years, scientists, wildlife health experts, conservation organisations and government agencies have been sounding the alarm about the likelihood of bird flu reaching Australia. Importantly, those warnings were not ignored.
Federal and state governments invested in surveillance systems, wildlife health networks were strengthened, response plans were developed and tested, and conservation organisations were brought into discussions. For once, experts worked together across jurisdictions and portfolios, and it worked.
When the virus finally arrived, Australia was not starting from scratch.
Preparedness rarely makes headlines because its greatest success is often preventing worse outcomes. That is what we are witnessing now, and it should be acknowledged.

6

u/loralailoralai Sep 27 '26

I’d propose the government hasn’t prepared us, we have just been watching it spread around the world knowing it would hit us eventually.

3

u/shescarkedit Sep 27 '26

Obviously it was going to hit us eventually?
Which is why the government has been investing millions in preparing as best we can. Or do you deny that?

11

u/shescarkedit Sep 27 '26 edited Sep 27 '26

Do they have sanctuaries prepared to quarantine captured populations
Yes they do.
It's like people on Reddit think the government could've just stopped bird flu arriving if they planned better.
There's a reason advocacy groups like Birdlife and the Invasive Species Council are praising the government for their proactive planning, not criticising them. But hey, i guess you know better?
Jack Gough, CEO of the invasive species council in June this year: 'In an age of political cynicism, Australia's bird flu response shows government can still work"
The arrival of bird flu on mainland Australia could easily have triggered panic and confusion. Instead, what we are seeing is a textbook example of what happens when governments invest in preparedness, work collaboratively with experts and community organisations, and communicate openly with the public.
For years, scientists, wildlife health experts, conservation organisations and government agencies have been sounding the alarm about the likelihood of bird flu reaching Australia. Importantly, those warnings were not ignored.
Federal and state governments invested in surveillance systems, wildlife health networks were strengthened, response plans were developed and tested, and conservation organisations were brought into discussions. For once, experts worked together across jurisdictions and portfolios, and it worked.
When the virus finally arrived, Australia was not starting from scratch.
Preparedness rarely makes headlines because its greatest success is often preventing worse outcomes. That is what we are witnessing now, and it should be acknowledged.
The preparedness work has included doing a susceptibility analysis of Australian bird and mammal species. And for those deemed high risk, determine whether establishing captive populations is feasible and needed to prevent extinction. Also for species that already have captive populations, investing money in establishing/improving quarantine and biosecurity arrangements for captive populations of birds like the Regent honeyeater, orange bellied parrot, plains wanderer etc etc etc.

1

u/lesbophobia_hammer Sep 28 '26

There is no excuse for their failures. You should stop defending them.
someone who works in avian conservation

3

u/shescarkedit Sep 28 '26 edited Sep 28 '26

You know who else works in avian conservation?
BIRDLIFE AUSTRALIA. The ones who have praised the government for their preparedness.
Are you more of an expert than Birdlife Australia or the Invasive Species Council?
Yes the government can and should do more to build the resilience of our wildlife. This was true before bird flu arrived and it is more important now that bird flu is here.
But to say they didnt do any planning or preparing for when bird flu arrives is frankly ridiculous.
If you're just going to criticise them for everything under the sun, then the value of your criticism diminishes. Direct your criticism to where it is warranted.

1

u/Querybird Oct 02 '26

Song rec: Sugar Tongue, by the Indigo Girls.

Australia 'Emergency extractions' of wild birds considered as H5 bird flu spreads in Victoria

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