Latest news with #avianflu
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Swans are back on the Thames! Numbers of beloved Royal birds shoot up after worrying dip
The number of swans on the River Thames has begun to go up again after a worrying dip, according to an annual survey. The traditional five-day count known as swan upping found 115 young birds this year, compared to just 86 in 2024. There has been a worrying decline in the numbers of the beloved royal birds in recent years - with the drop blamed on avian flu and human cruelty. But the new figures released by the King's swan marker, David Barber, this week suggest the 45 per fall over the past two years has been reversed. However, the numbers are still down on the 155 swans that were counted in 2022. Mr Barber said according to The Henley Standard: 'So far it has been very positive. 'It's an improvement on last year because we've had the bird flu for a few years and that seems to have died out on the Thames now and the breeding pairs suffered badly and now it seems quite good so I'm pleased with it. 'Last year was the lowest number we've had for years and years and years and since I've been doing it and that was only 86 cygnets [across the whole bird count].' Swan upping is the annual census of the swan population and the ceremony is used to count the number of young cygnets, check their health and ensure numbers are maintained. The 'swan uppers' use traditional rowing skiffs for their five-day journey each year upstream along the River Thames to Abingdon Bridge in Oxfordshire. The ceremony dates back to the 12th century, when the ownership of all unmarked mute swans in Britain was claimed by the Crown in order to ensure a ready supply for feasts. The focus is now on conservation and education, with local primary school children invited to Q&A sessions throughout the week. In particular, Mr Barber wants the event to discourage young people from mistreating swans. Recently there have been incidents reported of people shooting the royal birds with catapults and air guns. Swan upping has also become a popular spectacle with crowds gathering along the banks of the River Thames.
BBC News
5 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Royal swan count on Thames sees numbers resurface after dip
Swan numbers have begun to recover on the Thames, after a couple of years of worrying decline, according to an annual royal survey of swans.A five-day search along the Thames, completed on Friday, found 115 young swans, rather than 86 last year, showing signs that the disappearance of swans could be beginning to be traditional count is called "swan upping", but in recent years it has been more like swan downing, with numbers plunging because of avian flu and human cruelty, including reports of swans being attacked by catapults and air the new figures released by the King's swan marker, David Barber, show a more optimistic picture, after a 45% fall over the past two years. The tradition of swan upping sees six boats sailing from Sunbury Lock in west London to Abingdon Bridge in Oxfordshire, with the "swan uppers" counting, weighing and giving a health check to young swans found along the annual event has also become a popular spectacle, with crowds gathering along the riverbank in the sunshine to watch the boats go past, with their colourful flags and crews in ceremonial outfits. The fall in swan numbers had threatened to make the classic image of swans on the Thames an increasingly rare the swan uppers have more more positive news about the swan population and will be hoping a corner has been turned. Although it's still down on the 155 counted in the outset of the trip, Mr Barber said he was hoping that avian flu had "eased off", after an impact on the swan population that had been "quite disastrous"."Fortunately, there has been a decrease in reported cases of the disease in the River Thames area in recent months," said the King's swan marker. With a swan's feather in his cap and wearing a scarlet jacket, Mr Barber spoke of the risks to swans nesting on the said their search found swans needing to be cleaned from pollution such as engine oil. Fishing tackle was a longstanding problem and there were attacks from dogs and vandalism from upping dates back to the 12th Century and was once about counting royal property - with the monarch having ownership of unmarked mute swans swimming on open is now more about conservation and education, involving schools along the route and helping to teach young people to respect and protect particular Mr Barber wants to discourage young people from the mistreatment of swans - such as shooting them with catapults, which he says causes terrible figures so far show a more hopeful picture for swans on the Thames. Sign up here to get the latest royal stories and analysis every week with our Royal Watch newsletter. Those outside the UK can sign up here.
The Independent
7 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Hundreds of doomed ostriches find unlikely ally in RFK Jr
The Canadian government ordered the culling of 400 ostriches at Universal Ostrich Farms in British Columbia after they were exposed to bird flu. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has intervened, urging Canada not to cull the birds but to study them for scientific knowledge. A legal battle is underway, with a federal appeals court pausing the cull order to review arguments from the farm owners who want to keep the ostriches alive for research. RFK Jr., supported by Mehmet Oz and John Catsimatidis, has written to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to press for a change in the culling policy. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency maintains that its 'stamping-out' policy is necessary to prevent the spread and mutation of the avian flu virus, despite arguments from the farm owners that the policy is overly strict.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
RFK Jr wants Canada to pardon 400 ostriches
The Canadian government ordered 400 ostriches to be culled after they were exposed to bird flu, but U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants to save the flock. Universal Ostrich Farms in British Columbia was ordered to cull the flightless birds after avian flu was detected last December, CBC reported. A month later, 69 birds died. A court battle has ensued, with the farm owners arguing the ostriches should be kept alive to be studied for potential treatments. Although the court rejected the initial argument, the federal appeals court last month paused the order as it reviewed the matter; the court heard arguments in the case this week. Amid the legal challenges the birds have found an unlikely ally to the south: RFK Jr. 'The Secretary has urged Canada not to kill the ostriches but to do further testing to try to better understand the virus,' a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services told Politico. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants to save 400 Canadian ostriches from being culled (REUTERS) The health secretary wrote a letter to the president of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in May, urging the agency not to go through with plans to eradicate the flock and instead test the birds' antibodies: 'We believe significant scientific knowledge may be garnered from following the ostriches in a controlled environment at the Universal Ostrich Farm.' The cull was ordered as part of a so-called 'stamping-out' policy, used to mitigate the risk of the virus spreading to humans or animals, according to the agency. A screengrab from a video capturing two ostriches resting at the Universal Ostrich Farm, where the Canadian government has ordered for 400 birds to be culled due to avian flu exposure (Katie Pasitney / Facebook) 'Allowing a domestic poultry flock known to be exposed to [bird flu] to remain alive means a potential source of the virus persists. It increases the risk of reassortment or mutation of the virus, particularly with birds raised in open pasture where there is ongoing exposure to wildlife,' the agency explained in a May release after the federal court dismissed the farm owners' applications for judicial review. This week, Kennedy — along with Trump's Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz and billionaire John Catsimatidis — sent letters to Prime Minister Mark Carney pressing his government to alter its policy, Politico reported. Hundreds of birds remain symptom-free months after 69 birds died after being exposed to bird flu, according to the farm owners' lawyer (Katie Pasitney) According to CBC, Katie Pasitney, whose parents own the farm, thanked the trio for their efforts, saying on Tuesday: "I guess we'll just see where that goes from here because we do know that Dr. Oz and RFK are very passionate about this, just as well as John Catsimatidis." In court on Tuesday, Umar Sheikh, a lawyer for the farm owners, similarly argued that the government's policy was too strict, noting that hundreds of ostriches still exhibit no symptoms of avian flu. Only two birds tested positive for the virus before the cull was ordered, he said. "We would ask questions such as why 100 percent destruction needs to occur based on 0.5 percent confirmed infection?" Sheikh asked the court, according to CBC. Aileen Jones, a lawyer for the agency, argued that the court has already determined the 'stamping-out policy is a reasonable policy,' the outlet reported. Solve the daily Crossword
National Post
16-07-2025
- Health
- National Post
Federal Court of Appeal reserves decision in B.C. ostrich farm's avian flu case
OTTAWA — The Federal Court of Appeal reserved its decision in a case involving two B.C. farmers who are fighting an order from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to destroy around 400 ostriches after an outbreak of avian flu. Article content After hearing arguments on Tuesday in Ottawa, Justice Mary Gleason told the court that the panel of three judges will try to make a decision quickly, noting that the case dates back to December. Article content Article content Article content The CFIA ordered Universal Ostrich Farms to cull about 400 birds after 69 ostriches died in December and January. Article content Article content The agency tested two of the dead birds in January and found a 'novel reassortment' of the highly contagious avian flu virus, which had not been seen anywhere else in Canada. Article content It also fined the farm's owners, Karen Espersen and Dave Bilinski, for failing to report the outbreak and for failing to adhere to quarantine measures. Article content The Federal Court denied the farm's application for a judicial review of the CFIA's order, ruling that the agency's decision was reasonable and procedurally fair, and that it is not up to the courts to resolve scientific disputes. Article content The courts granted a stay of the CFIA's order to destroy the herd while the case was appealed. Article content The farm's lawyer, Umar Sheikh, told the Federal Court of Appeal on Tuesday that the agency ordered all the ostriches to be culled just 41 minutes after receiving the positive test results. Article content Sheikh said in his arguments that there is evidence ostriches fare better than other birds in the case of an outbreak, with a lower mortality rate than chickens, for example. Article content Article content At issue in the appeal is the CFIA's application of the 'stamping out' policy, which is defined by the World Organization of Animal Health. Article content Article content The policy states that if highly pathogenic avian flu is discovered, steps must be taken to destroy any animals or things on the property that were infected or exposed, and the environment must be decontaminated. Article content Sheikh said the CFIA is applying the policy in a one-size-fits-all manner and argued that is not appropriate, pointing out that no ostriches have died on the farm since January and the farmers believe all the birds have recovered. Article content The court heard Tuesday that the virus can live in water and soil for months at a time, and that even seemingly healthy ostriches may spread the virus to other animals, including mammals. Article content Universal Ostrich Farms has said the loss of the herd would put their three-decade operation out of business. Article content The CFIA says the stamping out policy is a critical part of maintaining not only animal and human health, but also Canada's status as a reliable international trading partner.
