As bird flu ravages stocks, Kangaroo Island is 'sick of bloody disasters'
Fears about bird flu's potentially devastating impact on South Australia's penguins have fuelled calls for the creatures to be vaccinated against the virus, with Kangaroo Island's mayor saying the local population has "taken a hammering" in recent years.
Mass bird deaths, believed to be linked to H5N1, have struck Kangaroo Island, leaving locals fearing further environmental and economic devastation. Penguin tour operator Renee Daniell expressed concern over the potential loss of about 100 penguins in her monitored colony, which has recently seen a population boom. The Kangaroo Island Mayor, Michael Pengilly, said he is "sick of bloody disasters", recounting a string of calamities that have struck the island, including fires, COVID-19, and an algal bloom.
The SA government is considering a potential vaccination program for certain species, including penguins, but the process would involve regulatory and approval steps due to the vaccine's early development stage.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
