RCMP say they are investigating after a second ostrich was found dead in suspicious circumstances on a B.C. farm where roughly 400 of the birds have been ordered killed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).
Though a kill order for the ostriches is in place, the CFIA has said the cull will be “humane”, with “veterinary oversight.” In the meantime, the RCMP are monitoring the farm to ensure overall safety.
This is the second investigation into an ostrich death at the farm this year, with RCMP already investigating after one of the birds was shot on March 21.
The latest investigation was first confirmed by the Canadian Press.
RCMP did not provide an update on that earlier investigation, nor did they confirm the circumstances of the most recent death, which farm spokesperson Katie Pasitney, whose mother is co-owner of Universal Ostrich, said occurred sometime last night.
In a series of videos posted to Facebook Live, Pastiney said the farm had lost a “big, beautiful, handsome” male bird and that there was a “clear entry wound and a clear exit wound.”
She also said the farm had issues with drones in the area but did not want any “misinterpretations” and asked supporters to stick to the facts.
“We are not speculating,” she said.
Pasitney said the farm is working with the RCMP and understands the investigation will take time.
“We’re doing all the appropriate things,” she said. “Just send prayers and love to the farm right now.”
Demonstrators began gathering this weekend at Universal Ostrich farm in the community of Edgewood, B.C. They’re there to protest a federal order to cull a flock of nearly 400 birds. As Radio-Canada’s Camille Vernet explains, it comes after the farm lost a court challenge of the cull last week.
A few dozen supporters have been staying at the farm since a court ruling was issued May 13 stating that the cull, first ordered by the CFIA in December 2024, would be allowed to proceed.
The judge did not weigh in on the scientific arguments of the case, ruling that the CFIA has a mandate from the federal government to handle cases like culls, and it would be inappropriate for the judiciary to get involved.
Instead, the ruling said the CFIA had followed the proper channels and policies in making its decision.
The CFIA has consistently said that after testing was done on two dead ostriches found on the farm in December, it was confirmed avian flu had entered the flock. At that point, their policy is to “stamp out” the entire population of birds who may have been exposed to the disease, a policy that has resulted in the killing of thousands of hens, turkeys and other domestic birds across the country.
Only one exemption has been granted, in the case of a turkey farm in 2022 where avian flu had been detected in two barns but not others on the premises, because those animals had been kept separate and safety measures had been taken to prevent the possible spread of disease between the different structures — conditions that do not exist at Universal Ostrich where inspectors observed wild birds, weasels and “unauthorized individuals” walking among infected animals, in violation of quarantine policy, according to the court ruling.
The CFIA says this policy is necessary in order to live up to Canada’s international obligations for disease control through economic treaties, as well as to take every step possible to try to prevent avian flu from mutating and spreading further, potentially making it more dangerous to both animals and humans.
But the farm and its supporters argue that while 69 birds died during the initial outbreak, the last death occurred in January, and since then, all the surviving ostriches are “happy and healthy” and should be allowed to live. They’ve called on the CFIA to conduct follow-up testing.
The local regional district has also voted not to receive the carcasses of any of the killed birds at local landfills unless follow-up testing is conducted and released publicly.
However, the CFIA said in a statement released to CBC News on Friday that “for poultry operations,” which includes ostriches, “a single laboratory confirmed case of H5 avian influenza is sufficient to declare a premises infected, given how easily the disease can spread to other birds.”
It says duplicate samples were collected from two dead ostriches at the farm on Dec. 30, 2024 and confirmed the presence of avian flu.
“Operational plans and dates for the humane depopulation will not be shared with the public in advance,” the agency said.