More than 13,000 seal pups die on remote Australian island amid bird flu outbreak
Summary
More than 13,000 seal pups have died on Heard Island, an Australian territory, due to the spread of the H5N1 bird flu virus. The virus has affected several species of seals and birds on subantarctic islands, with very high mortality rates recorded.Key Facts
- Over 13,000 southern elephant seal pups died on Heard Island during 2025 and 2026.
- The average death rate was 76% across the island, reaching 97% in some areas.
- The H5N1 bird flu virus has infected at least six species on Heard Island, including penguins, seals, and petrels.
- The virus likely arrived from the French Crozet Islands about 1,800 km away, around August 2025.
- This is the first detection of H5N1 in an Australian external territory.
- The bird flu outbreak is causing severe impacts similar to other southern hemisphere outbreaks.
- The Australian government has allocated an extra $11.2 million to protect native species on the mainland.
- Scientists continue to monitor for bird flu on other Australian Antarctic territories and islands, with no cases found yet there.
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