Bird Flu Reaches Tasmania, Farmers and Poultry Owners Are Very Worried

Topic: Avian Influenza

Matthew Gunningham is being careful now that bird flu is in Tasmania.

In short:

The first case of the H5N1 bird flu in Tasmania has made farms and wildlife areas increase their security.

The Royal Hobart Poultry and Pigeon Show has been cancelled.

What's next?

People are asked to report any dead or sick animals to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline.

Matthew Gunningham has been farming in Tasmania for 25 years.

But now that bird flu is in the state, his farm is on high alert.

He feels very nervous about it.

Matthew Gunningham is worried about his flock of over 4,000 chickens.

A sick brown skua was found near his farm.

So far, it's the only case in Tasmania.

A bird with the flu might act strangely, like flapping its wings and turning in circles.

Matthew Gunningham is worried about his chickens if the flu spreads.

If his farm gets infected, he might have to kill all his chickens.

This would be very hard for him financially.

To report sick or dead birds, call the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline.

For other sick animals, visit the wildlife health webpage.

The bird flu has caused big problems for animals and farms around the world.

Matthew Gunningham made a plan to keep his farm safe over a year ago.

He started following the plan when cases of the flu increased in other states.

The plan includes limiting visitors and moving the chicken coops closer together.

Guard dogs are also used to keep wild birds away.

But on a farm where animals roam free, there's only so much that can be done.

A big poultry event has been cancelled.

Many birds were going to be at the Hobart event, but now it's cancelled.

The Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania cancelled the event because of the flu.

The Royal Hobart Poultry and Pigeon Show was supposed to have over 1,000 birds.

But now it won't happen.

The risks to the birds and other animals were too high.

The organizers are very disappointed.

This was going to be the biggest show in many years.

Poultry enthusiasts are affected by the news.

Competitors had spent a lot of time preparing their birds.

But cancelling the event was the safe thing to do.

Mark Robertson is worried about the future of poultry shows.

He's concerned about what will happen if shows are cancelled for a long time.

What will happen to older exhibitors who take a break?

We've seen things like this happen with COVID.

A wildlife sanctuary is preparing for the impact of the flu.

The Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary has been getting ready for the flu for three years.

It's sad to hear that the flu is finally in Tasmania.

The sanctuary helps rescue, rehabilitate, and protect native animals.

There's a concern about how the flu will affect the Tasmanian devil.

The sanctuary has biosecurity protocols to reduce the risk of the flu spreading.

They control the movement of people, equipment, and animals.

They started following these protocols as soon as they heard about the flu.

Tasmania's wombats might also be at risk from the disease.

The sanctuary is concerned about how the flu will affect their animal rescue service.

They get many calls for help every year.

Volunteers know to follow government guidelines and report suspicious cases.

See more ABC coverage.

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