A federal agency in Canada has confirmed the completion of a controversial cull, resulting in the deaths of all ostriches on a farm in British Columbia. The action was taken to contain a bird flu outbreak, finalising an order that had been in place for ten months.
Court Battles and Final Appeal
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced on Friday that a professional marksman, operating under veterinary supervision, had shot dead the entire flock of between 300 and 330 ostriches. The agency stated the procedure was carried out humanely.
This decisive action came after the Supreme Court of Canada declined to hear a final appeal from the farm's owners, removing the last legal barrier to the cull. The owners of the farm in Edgewood, located in the southern interior of BC, had fought the order for months, arguing their surviving birds showed no signs of illness and possessed valuable 'herd immunity' for scientific research.
International Pleas and Local Heartbreak
The situation attracted attention beyond Canada's borders. US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sent a letter to the head of the CFIA urging a reconsideration of the destruction order. Separately, Dr. Mehmet Oz, the former television personality who now administers the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, even offered to relocate the birds to his ranch in Florida.
Despite these high-profile interventions, the cull proceeded. The shooting began around 6 p.m. on Thursday under cover of darkness, with multiple shots heard in quick succession. By Friday, a holding pen that was once filled with ostriches was still and empty, covered with blue tarpaulins and black sheeting.
Local supporters and the farm's owners were devastated. Farm supporter Janice Tyndall, 72, said she listened for a couple of hours before she "couldn't stomach it anymore" and left. Katie Pasitney, a farm spokeswoman and daughter of co-owner Karen Espersen, expressed the family's grief in a Facebook post, stating they were "broken and can't imagine the suffering last night. We can't get out of bed."
Agency Justification and Compensation
The CFIA defended its firm stance, refusing the owners' request to test the birds for infection. The agency maintained that ostriches which appear healthy can still harbour and spread the virus. Allowing the flock to live, they argued, increased the risk of the virus mutating dangerously, especially if the birds came into contact with local wildlife.
As a result of the cull, the farmers are eligible for compensation from the government. According to the CFIA, they can receive up to $3,000 Canadian (approximately US$2,136) per ostrich.
