Wildlife

Wild Avian Flu Waterfowl Welfare

HPAI H5N1 impacts on waterfowl include direct mortality and ecosystem-level disruption affecting migratory species globally.

Key Facts

Barnacle geese, pink-footed geese, and teal have experienced significant HPAI mortality
Migratory waterfowl can carry HPAI across continents on seasonal migrations
Wild bird mass mortality events require rapid reporting and professional carcass disposal
Biosecurity at wildfowl reserves prevents virus spread from wild to captive or domestic birds
Species that congregate in large numbers on water are particularly vulnerable to rapid disease spread

Welfare Considerations

Waterfowl dying from HPAI experience rapid neurological deterioration and hemorrhagic disease. Mass mortality events cause acute suffering on a large scale with no current effective wildlife mitigation.

What You Can Do

Report sick or dead waterfowl to the Animal and Plant Health Agency immediately
Maintain strict biosecurity separating wild waterfowl from domestic ducks and geese
Support monitoring programs tracking HPAI distribution through wild bird populations