Bird flu kills 700 wild Black Vultures in the US
Bird flu has killed hundreds of wild Black Vultures at a Georgia sanctuary that houses more than 1,500 other animals.
At least 700 vultures have died, Noah's Ark animal care manager Allison Hedgecoth told WXIA-TV. State workers euthanized 20 to 30 other birds, she said.
Georgia officials said initial tests indicated the Black Vultures that roosted at Noah's Ark died of the H5N1 bird flu strain (Graham Harden).
"All of our chickens were euthanized yesterday and our turkeys and our guinea hens," she said. State officials have set up a 9.6-km perimeter around the sanctuary in hope of containing the spread, according to WXIA.
"With birds that are able to move around and airborne, this disease could spread pretty rapidly if it's not contained very quickly," state Senator Emanuel Jones told the station.
A sign on the Noah's Ark website said it would be closed until 3 September. No other birds at the Noah's Ark sanctuary have tested positive for or shown symptoms of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain, sanctuary officials told news outlets.
