Canadian agency says cull over, all ostriches shot dead at British Columbia farm

EDGEWOOD, British Columbia -- A Canadian national bureau said Friday it has changeable dormant each ostriches astatine a British Columbia farm, fulfilling a 10-month-old cull bid implicit a bird flu outbreak.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said successful a quality merchandise connected Friday a nonrecreational marksman was utilized and it was done successful a humane way.

Owners of the farm successful the confederate interior assemblage of Edgewood, British Columbia person been warring the bid successful the courts, arguing the surviving ostriches amusement nary signs of unwellness and should beryllium spared.

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sent a missive to the president of the CFIA urging him to reconsider destroying the birds. Separately, Dr. Mehmet Oz, erstwhile TV property and existent head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, offered his Florida ranch to relocate the animals.

A holding pen that was filled with ostriches connected Thursday appeared inactive and bare of unrecorded birds connected Friday, and nary ostriches could beryllium seen anyplace other connected the property.

Instead, the pen wherever the shootings took spot was filled with agelong bluish tarpaulins covering objects connected the crushed that were besides shrouded with achromatic sheeting.

The CFIA, which numbered the flock astatine betwixt 300 to 330 birds, said the shootings were completed nether veterinary supervision.

The Supreme Court of Canada announced it had declined to perceive the last appeal, lifting immoderate impediment to the cull.

The shooting began nether acheronian astir 6 p.m. connected Thursday, with aggregate shots successful speedy succession.

Farm protagonist Janice Tyndall, 72, said she listened to it intermittently for a mates hours earlier she “couldn’t tummy it anymore” and near the scene.

Farm spokeswoman Katie Pasitney, whose parent Karen Espersen co-owns the property, said successful a Facebook station Friday that they were “broken and can’t ideate the suffering past night. We can’t get retired of bed.”

The farm’s owners person said the cull was unnecessary due to the fact that the flock was steadfast and had “herd immunity,” making them invaluable for technological research, portion requesting that the birds beryllium tested for infection.

But the CFIA refused, saying ostriches that look steadfast tin inactive beryllium a imaginable root of the microorganism and allowing the flock to unrecorded accrued the hazard the microorganism would dangerously mutate, peculiarly if the birds were exposed to wildlife.

The farmers are eligible for up to $3,000 Canadian (US$2,136) per ostrich successful compensation, according to the CFIA.