The last time I reported on the highly infectious and virulent bird flu killing wild birds and decimating poultry flocks, scientists warned that the disease was poised to become endemic in the US.
As the pathogen passes through wild birds, it kills off a species at the heart of conservation efforts for decades…the California condor.
At least 20 California condors have died of avian flu in recent weeks, and wildlife officials are preparing for the virus’ spread among the critically endangered birds. The highly contagious H5N1 bird flu that is killing North America’s biggest bird is the same strain that forced farmers to cull millions of chickens over the last year.It is a major blow to the population of California condors (Gymnogyps californianus), which were pushed to the edge of extinction in the 1980s. Intensive breeding and habitat conservation efforts have since bolstered their numbers to around 500 birds, around 300 of which live in the wild. Clusters of the giant vultures can now be found from western Canada down to northern Mexico.In recent weeks, the US Fish and Wildlife Service had confirmed at least 20 condor deaths in a flock located around Arizona and Utah. So far, 10 of the condors in that flock have tested positive for avian flu and the 10 remaining birds are currently undergoing examination. The deaths represent a 7 per cent loss of the species’ wild population.
This is a troubling development for a truly magnificent species. In the early 1980’s, there were less than 30 California condors.
To prevent extinction, scientists captured the remaining birds in 1987 to breed in zoos. The birds were later reintroduced to the wild in sanctuaries and national parks. By 2020, the population had grown to 504 birds.The infected birds were part of a population that moves between northern Arizona and southern Utah, including Grand Canyon National Park, according to the Park Service. Officials expect exposure to the virus to rise during the condors’ migration north in the spring.So far, the avian flu has not been detected in other condors in California or Mexico’s Baja California, the Park Service said.
I have spent many hours at the San Diego safari park observing our collection of condors. Here’s hoping that the vaccines being developed for the bird flu work as vaccines should and that California condors can continue their recovery from near extinction.
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