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The nation’s food safety authority revealed it aims to initiate a total removal of hundreds of ostriches at a ranch after the supreme court declined to halt the disputed cull.

Judicial Impediments Cleared by Supreme Court Decision

The recent judicial decision eliminated any judicial obstacle to commencing the slaughter.

Universal Ostrich Farms, located close to the town of Edgewood, British Columbia, was first ordered in May to eradicate almost four hundred birds, due to fears of an outbreak of bird flu.

Earlier this week, officials seized control of the operation.

Sixty-nine ostriches have already died after the outbreak of a flu-like illness.

Midweek, Canada’s supreme court issued an temporary halt on the eradication directive as it weighed whether to hear the case.

Governmental and Societal Reactions

The growing row over the birds – and a lingering post-pandemic skepticism – have motivated protesters to descend on the farm, with many expressing their frustration on online platforms.

The situation has also penetrated Canada’s federal politics.

Earlier this fall, the opposition leader, Pierre Poilievre, was questioned twice by journalists whether he backed protesters.

The Conservative figure has steered clear of making direct statements on the issue, even though many within his political group protesting against the slaughter.

He told the press the situation had been “mismanaged from the very beginning” but avoided mentioning the word “ostrich”.

International Involvement and Proposals

A number of prominent figures from the United States have petitioned Canadian officials.

The US health secretary offered to move the birds to his ranch in Florida.

An US billionaire has also appealed with the authorities to rescind its eradication directive.

Scientific and Moral Debates

The Canadian federal government stated the relevant agency was adhering to a eradication policy in order to limit the transmission of bird flu, a move consistent with wider guidance from global health organizations.

However, animal advocacy groups have urged the authority to perform further testing on the birds to verify they are carrying the virus.

The farm owners claimed that because the last bird flu death happened on 15 January 2025, with the remaining birds appearing healthy or healed, the group has acquired at least some level of immunity against the virus.

They have also cast doubt on the scope and effectiveness of testing on the ostriches.

Ranch Spokesperson Reaction

On Thursday, the ranch representative, told the media that the agency was killing birds in good health.

“They are prehistoric animals that have survived millions of years, but they won’t endure the government agency,” she stated.

A partner expressed he was “afraid that there is no justice left”.

Judicial and Agency Findings

A national court, on the other hand, determined that permitting the ostriches to stay alive could result in the spread of bird flu to other animals, the livestock sector – or to humans.

The agency has not announced at what time it plans to begin culling the ostriches.

Eradication Procedures

An older agency manual, obtained under public access laws, says ostriches can be euthanized by various methods, the preferred being lethal injection, which requires three people: one person to restrain the ostrich by restraining it, one to hold the head, and a third to administer the injection.

Personnel can also use gas chambers or neck dislocation.

Employees of the agency can only shoot the ostriches in extreme circumstances, if they have a trained shooter on site.

Latest Updates

As per reports, soon after the judicial decision, inspection agents started installing more equipment and flood lighting around a makeshift pen near the rear of the ostrich pen.