On Thursday evening, authorities from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) descended on Universal Ostrich Farms in British Columbia, Canada, according to Global News Canada. They reportedly herded 300 of the large birds into a hay bale pen, and later, gunshots rang out over the farm—possibly signaling the start of a controversial cull.
A video posted to the Universal Ostrich Farms Facebook page on Thursday shows what appears to be dozens of ostriches confined inside a hay bale pen. These events unfolded just hours after Canada’s Supreme Court dismissed an application from the owners of Universal Ostrich Farms to hear an appeal aimed at saving their flock.
Despite fierce protests from the owners, their supporters, and even senior Trump Administration officials, the court moved in favor of the cull due to fears of an outbreak of bird flu. The current state of the birds is unclear. Gizmodo reached out to the CFIA and Universal Ostrich Farms but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
### Another Bird Flu Tragedy
Universal Ostrich Farms—located in Edgewood, British Columbia—has been campaigning on behalf of its birds since May 13, when the court ruled in favor of a CFIA order to kill nearly 400 of its ostriches. That bird flu outbreak ultimately resulted in 69 ostrich deaths.
Farms across British Columbia have endured brutal waves of bird flu since 2022, prompting authorities to cull more than 8.7 million commercial and backyard birds across the province, according to CBC. This number represents more than half the national toll of 14.5 million birds affected.
The culls are sanctioned by Canada’s “stamping out” policy, which aims to stop the spread of bird flu through the lethal removal of infected animals, following guidance from the World Health Organization.
### MAHA in the Mix
The Universal Ostrich Farms case has garnered significant attention across news media, social media, and politics. In May, U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. lobbied Canadian officials in an attempt to save the ostriches, arguing that the birds could be used for bird flu research.
The U.S. Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Mehmet Oz (formerly known as TV personality Dr. Oz), also offered to move the birds to his ranch in Florida. However, Universal Ostrich Farms declined the offer. Neither RFK Jr. nor Dr. Oz has commented on the court’s recent ruling.
After the decision was announced, Katie Pasitney, a spokesperson for Universal Ostrich Farms, told the media that the CFIA was “murdering” healthy birds, The Guardian reports. “They are prehistoric animals that have survived millions of years, but they won’t survive the Canadian Food Inspection Agency,” she said.
Co-owner Dave Bilinski reportedly expressed his despair, stating he was “afraid there’s—in my opinion—there’s no justice left.”
https://gizmodo.com/gunshots-heard-at-canadian-ostrich-farm-signaling-the-start-of-a-controversial-cull-2000683114