An animal sanctuary in Summerland, British Columbia has revealed that one of their feathered residents has tested positive for H5N1, better known as avian flu.Critterland made the announcement on November 7, as the Canadian Food Inspection Agency was carrying out its cull of over 300 ostriches at a farm in Edgewood over virus-related fears."Over the past few days, our sanctuary family has been facing one of the most heartbreaking experiences in our history," Critterland wrote. "We are navigating a situation that has required immediate action, coordination with veterinary professionals, federal (CFIA) regulatory authorities, Interior Health and Epidemiology divisions as we had positive case of H5N1 at our sanctuary."They said the team and volunteers were "devastated" by the news, noting that "the animals in our care are the center of everything we do, and the emotional weight of this moment is immense.""Because this situation is still active and regulated, we are simply consumed with this horror," the statement continued. "We want to be very clear: we are not hiding anything from our community. We are simply trying to move through this with care, accuracy, and integrity while also supporting our animals and each other."They added that no matter what, "our commitment to the animals, to transparency, and to this community has not changed and will never change.""For now, we ask for compassion, patience, and understanding," the sanctuary concluded. "If you need to reach us, please do so with kindness. Our hearts are fragile right now.".UPDATED: CFIA says shooting BC ostriches was 'most appropriate and humane option'.The CFIA carried out the cull after nearly a year of legal battles with Universal Ostrich Farms.The saga began in December 2024, when an avian flu outbreak was declared at the farm. Co-owner Karen Espersen said she believed the disease was brought to their property by a flock of migrating ducks, who took shelter in the barn.Initially, the farm saw as many as four ostriches dying per day, but eventually the deaths petered out. Pasitney said this was evidence that the birds had acquired herd immunity.Nonetheless, when the CFIA got wind of the outbreak in December, they sent a team out to investigate, and after testing two carcasses, determined that the entire herd had to be culled. This was incomprehensible to the owners and their families, who have developed strong relationships with each individual bird.
