Environmentalists fear bird flu could devastate Phillip Island little penguin population
Conservationists are warning that the H5N1 bird flu virus poses a severe threat to the little penguin colony on Phillip Island, Australia. With confirmed cases rising across the state, experts fear high mortality rates if the virus reaches the island's wildlife.
Why it matters
The potential loss of a major tourist attraction and a significant wildlife population highlights the ecological risks posed by the spread of avian influenza.
Little penguins on the beach on Phillip Island, Victoria, at night. ( AAP: Phillip Island Nature Parks )
Conservationists fear H5 bird flu could devastate Phillip Island's Little Penguin colony.
There are more than 40,000 penguins in the Phillip Island colony, which is a major tourist attraction.
Authorities say they are enacting Phillip Island's bird flu response plan.
Link copied Share Share article Environmentalists are concerned about "devastating effects" on Phillip Island's penguin colony and other wildlife as bird flu cases continue to spread throughout the state.
The major tourism hub, located around two hours south of Melbourne, is home to penguins, seals, and other animals susceptible to the bird flu strain taking hold across the country.
Victoria's first case of H5N1 was confirmed at Portland on the state's far south-west coast last week.
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