Falcon sanctuary prepares for bird flu with shoe baths and visitor restrictions
A New Zealand falcon sanctuary is implementing strict biosecurity measures, including disinfectant shoe baths and visitor restrictions, to protect birds from a potential avian influenza outbreak. The trust has also ceased accepting wild-sourced food donations to mitigate the risk of virus transmission.
Why it matters
Proactive biosecurity in wildlife sanctuaries is critical to preventing the spread of highly contagious diseases to endangered endemic species.
A Marlborough falcon sanctuary is preparing for the arrival of bird flu with disinfectant shoe baths, visitor restrictions and no more wild game.
Kārearea Falcon Trust manager Holly Turner said the arrival of bird flu in New Zealand was "definitely cause for worry", and the trust was already tightening security on the endemic kārearea New Zealand falcon in their care.
New Zealand's first confirmed case of the highly contagious virus was first detected on 10 July when a sick brown skua was found on Petone Beach. A second case was confirmed on 17 July in a native kāhu (swamp harrier) in Wairarapa. There had been no further cases as of Wednesday.
To reduce the chance of bringing bird flu into the Fairhall falcon sanctuary, Turner said last week they started using disinfectant "shoe dips" during entry and exit.
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