Island wildlife rescue facility implements avian flu precautions
Staff and volunteers at the Mountainaire Avian Rescue Society (MARS) in Merville are busy securing their property after the recent discovery of a case of avian flu in the Comox Valley.
Safety measures include closing the facility's visitor centre to the public, as well as covering up its bird enclosures and limiting access to the property.
“This is a first for us, at least since I’ve been here, we’ve never had to do anything quite this intensive before in terms of quarantines and precautions,” says Kiersten Shyian, assistant manager of wildlife rehabilitation for MARS.
The precautions are being taken in order to protect the society’s “ambassador birds” and patients that are currently in the group’s wildlife hospital.
“We have a barrier now so people can’t get any closer to the hospital, we will be coming out to pick up patients from the public, we are doing a whole bunch of different sanitizing measures and things like that,” Shyian says.
Triage and safety protocols have been introduced to ensure no infected animals are brought into the hospital, but there are also safety measures being carried out to prevent wild birds from bringing in the infection.
“We are actually tarping over the roof of our ambassador enclosures, just to try to discourage any wild birds from landing on top and ending up pooping in their enclosure, so they do still have access to the elements but we are topping all the tops of the enclosures,” says Shyian.
Signage has also been placed on the property to notify the public that the centre is having to decline the donation of any poultry, waterfowl or eggs.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.