Wildlife Welfare

Wild Avian Influenza Wildlife Welfare

Highly pathogenic avian influenza has caused catastrophic mortality in wild seabirds since 2022, representing an unprecedented wildlife welfare crisis with ongoing impacts.

Key Facts

HPAI H5N1 has killed tens of millions of seabirds globally since 2022
Species affected include gannets, skuas, terns, gulls, pelicans, and penguins
Neurological signs including disorientation, tremors, and inability to fly precede death
HPAI also affects mammals including seals, foxes, and bears globally
Vaccination of wild seabirds is theoretically possible but practically challenging at scale

Welfare Considerations

HPAI causes acute neurological suffering and death for individual seabirds at a scale that exceeds any practical welfare intervention capacity. The scale of this ongoing wildlife welfare crisis exceeds previous disease impacts on wild bird populations and continues to cause mass mortality.

What You Can Do

Report sick or dead seabirds to APHA without handling them due to zoonotic risk
Support biosecurity measures that reduce HPAI spread between captive and wild populations
Donate to seabird monitoring organisations tracking HPAI population impacts