A sign calling for the protection of ostriches in Edgewood, British Columbia        Aaron Hemmens | AP File

Canadian Ostrich Culling

BY DRISHYA NISHANTH & RITIKA ANNAMANENI

DECEMBER 1, 2025

   In November 2025, the damp, CO2-infiltrated air in the back of the Universal Ostrich Farm hung heavy over the bodies of around 300 ostriches lying unconscious against the hay stacks. The culling of these ostriches was ordered in 2024 by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) after two initially tested positive for the highly pathogenic Avian Flu (Influenza A virus subtype H5N1), causing an outbreak that killed 69 ostriches. Despite the remaining birds' health, the CFIA used these results to justify a full-farm cull under national disease control rules, sparking public outcry. 

The Avian Flu is a zoonotic virus that can infect humans in rare cases, and its tendency to mutate makes even small outbreaks a serious public health concern. British Columbia has faced more avian flu cases than any other Canadian province, and federal officials argued the cull was necessary to protect the nation’s multi-billion-dollar poultry industry. 

Junior Madeline Nonestied said, “While the bird flu still serves as a huge threat, it’s hard to see hundreds of animals destroyed when they weren’t all proven to be sick. In APES, we talk about how biodiversity matters, and removing an entire flock feels like a setback in ethics and conservation.” 

There were numerous groups opposed to the action, such as farmers who believed surviving ostriches were immune to H5N1 and wanted to save their eggs for selling antibodies as different products. The CFIA rejected claims of immunity, justifying the culling. The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) also declined to hear the farm’s final appeal in a series of court cases, permitting the cull. This sparked protests and farmers setting up camp, to the point that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police were called in. 

Although not having jurisdiction in Canada’s justice system, prominent figures involved with the American Health System, such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., argued before the CFIA’s decision. He claimed that it would be best for the CFIA to reconsider and possibly study the ostriches' immunity to the disease. Advocacy against culling the birds even went so far as Dr. Mehmet Oz, also under the Trump administration, offering to relocate the birds to Florida; however, this proposal was rejected as well.

“I’ve heard that the animals should be culled to prevent the disease from spreading to humans,” Junior Ruby Portnoy said. “It’s a difficult situation because, while of course culling the animals is terrible, they may cause risk to human health”.

The ostrich cull clearly shows Canada's stance: the government focuses on eliminating rather than mitigating the issue. From their perspective, it is the only approach that safeguards public interest and the industries. People who disagree present pressing arguments regarding the government and animal welfare, such as whether the unofficial, though decades-old, ‘stamping-out’ protocols neglect the reality of a world where animal disease outbreaks persist. The cull may very well impact the way Canada will balance these diverging interests for decades to come