Australia Vaccinates Wild Penguins Against Bird Flu

More than 1,000 little penguins in the Australian state of Victoria have received their first dose of an H5N1 bird flu vaccine in what is believed to be the world’s largest vaccination program involving wild birds, according to The Guardian.

The program aims to vaccinate around 5,000 penguins across Phillip Island and St Kilda. The vaccines were supplied by Australia’s federal Department of Agriculture, with the birds due to receive a second dose three weeks after the first.

Little penguins are the world’s smallest penguin species and are found only in southern Australia and New Zealand. The vaccination drive has taken on greater urgency following confirmed H5 cases in little penguins on Phillip Island and Kangaroo Island. In Tasmania, 51 little penguins have died on King Island, with bird flu presumed to be the cause.

Catherine Basterfield, chief executive of Phillip Island Nature Parks, said capturing and handling the penguins was challenging but was being carried out by trained specialists. The birds are trapped as they return from the beach to their burrows, then weighed, measured and microchipped before being vaccinated and released.

Officials have stressed both the need to protect the species and its economic importance. Phillip Island is home to around 40,000 little penguins, while its famous Penguin Parade attracts about 700,000 visitors a year and contributes around A$500m ($330m) to Victoria’s economy.

Teams are working to vaccinate as many penguins as possible in the coming weeks.

(max)