How do you vaccinate 1,000 tiny penguins against bird flu in the wild? It’s ‘really tricky’ but there is a way
Summary
More than 1,000 little penguins on Phillip Island, Victoria, have received their first dose of a bird flu vaccine, making it possibly the largest vaccination effort for wild birds in the world. The program aims to protect around 5,000 penguins from the H5N1 bird flu, which has already caused deaths in some nearby islands.Key Facts
- Over 1,000 little penguins have been vaccinated against bird flu on Phillip Island.
- About 5,000 penguins on Phillip Island and St Kilda are expected to get two doses of the vaccine.
- Little penguins return to the same burrows nightly, helping the vaccination process.
- The vaccination uses the H5N1 vaccine, targeting a deadly strain of bird flu.
- Some penguins on Kangaroo Island (South Australia) and King Island (Tasmania) have died or tested positive for bird flu.
- The penguin population on Phillip Island is around 40,000 birds.
- The vaccination program was started by the Victorian government with vaccines supplied by the federal agriculture department.
- Experts warn vaccination alone may not be enough and stress the importance of biosecurity measures to prevent bird flu spread.
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