Vancouver Island ostrich farm forced to cull flock due to avian flu

Owners of Universal Ostrich Farm in Edgewood, near Nanaimo, have been devastated by an order to cull their entire flock due to an active avian flu outbreak.

They say they received a letter from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) denying their request to quarantine in an effort to avoid depopulation.

“They expect, by Feb. 1, for all 400 ostriches to be destroyed and buried,” said Katie Pasitney, daughter of the farm’s owner.

Pasitney tells The Leader Spirit she was raised alongside the birds from childhood, and she’s heartbroken by the idea. But she says there’s more at stake than her family losing beloved animals.

“The ostriches have been injected with immunizations for multiple different viruses to test their robust ability to create antibodies… These probably are some of the most expensive ostriches in Canada,” Pasitney said.

She says the farm has partnered with international research institutions to use the ostriches, which have unique biological properties, to study immunology. Meaning the birds could hold the cure to many dangerous diseases.

Devastated by the cull order, Pasitney started an online petition, saying the farm wants to use it as an opportunity to conduct science experiments and find a cure for other birds.

“These birds were peacefully involved in a scientific study until they unfortunately contracted avian flu, presumably from 300+ ducks that visited their pen and now made it home and have not left,” she explained on Change.org.

“The ducks that pose the migratory flight risk are not on any radar, once our food source for them is gone and 400 ostriches are destroyed they will continue on their migratory path to the next farm and next farm spreading avian flu. Our ostriches are under strict quarantine measures. This gives us a rare opportunity to use our scientific data and help save humanity rather than a mass slaughter of our flightless, quarantined, healthy ostrich.”

She says three quarters of the farm birds show no signs of the disease, but their pleas to the CFIA “fall on deaf ears.”

The Leader Spirit has reached out to the CFIA for more information.

Pasitney says it’s difficult to think about the possible outcome, and all her family can do is hope there is some way they can move forward in a positive direction for science. 

“Killing these ostriches will not eradicate avian flu,” she wrote. “It will only extinguish the unique lives that call our farm home and the invaluable data they provide in understanding this disease.”