A number of Canada geese were found dead in Whitby Harbour on Monday, and officials plan to test for avian flu as a possible cause.
Whitby Animal Services retrieved eight deceased geese near the Port Whitby Marina on Monday, according to an email from the Town of Whitby sent on Tuesday. Staff visited the area after getting a report about the dead geese and will keep an eye out for more.
“Right now, the cause of death is unknown,” the town said in the email.
Terrol Maciver, who lives in Oshawa, reported seeing at least two dozen dead geese along with several others that seemed unwell on Monday morning.
“It was like a gravesite.. It was heartbreaking, actually. And to watch some of them die in front of me was – I’m tearing up now because it’s awful.”
Maciver mentioned she had never witnessed anything like this before. Many of the deceased birds had their heads submerged in water, she noted.
“I noticed that the seagulls were acting odd out on the ice surface. They were eating something. I thought that it was fish, and when I looked closely, I noticed that they were eating geese,” Maciver said.
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A resident who first saw the dead geese said there doesn’t seem to be any signs that coyotes were involved since there’s no visible trauma on the bodies. (Submitted by Terrol Maciver)
Maciver contacted Whitby Animal Services to inform them about the dead birds. She felt certain right away that coyotes weren’t responsible for their deaths due to the lack of trauma on their bodies.
Some carcasses remained on the ice Tuesday, drawing hawks, eagles, and herons to them, according to Maciver. She expressed concern that if a disease led to these deaths, it could spread among other birds.
Brian Stevens, a wildlife pathologist at the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative for Ontario/Nunavut Region, stated in an email on Tuesday that they’ve heard reports about over 25 dead Canada geese along the waterfront.
Samples from these remains have been sent to their co-operative based in Guelph for testing as per town officials’ information. The cooperative’s role includes monitoring wildlife health issues and coordinating responses with governmental agencies.
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Canada geese are shown here at the Whitby, Ont., waterfront. (Grant Linton/CBC)
In light of this situation, residents around Whitby are being advised not to touch any remains of geese they might find and ensure pets remain leashed so they don’t consume any dead wildlife.
Kate Novia , supervisor of bylaw and animal services at Town of Whitby , urged residents not approach or handle any sick or deceased birds.
Anyone spotting a sick or dead bird in Whitby should report it immediately at Animal Services via 905-655-0283 along with its location.
On Tuesday , Brampton City officials reported receiving multiple accounts regarding several deceased waterfowl found at Professor ’ s Lake as well as Reginald Conover Pond located around Mc Vean Drive & Cottrelle Boulevard area. The city suspects these waterfowl might be infected with avian influenza.
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Avian flu suspected, wildlife expert says
Stevens added in his email: “I can’t say for certain what has caused this mortality event but based on everything we know about it, we suspect it is related to an avian influenza outbreak.” He also mentioned that officials won’t confirm if it’s avian flu until autopsies are done on those birds; however, it’s common to see such outbreaks among geese during fall and winter months. The avian flu can severely impact Canada geese and may also be transmitted to scavenging animals around them, he noted. “You do have a number of geese that are clustering close together. It is cold weather. There’s more virus out there so it’s just much easier for these geese to come into contact with it and pass it from one goose to another.”Source link
