Canada pauses cull of ostrich flock

A flock of Canadian ostriches set to be culled, after two dead birds tested positive for avian flu, has been granted a last-minute stay of execution from Canada’s highest court – for now. Canada’s Supreme Court issued an order Wednesday granting an “interim-interim stay” of a culling order made on December 31. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency late last year ordered about 400 ostriches to be killed. Since then, Universal Ostrich Farms in Edgewood, British Columbia, has fought the order. It has lost multiple lower court rulings but has won some powerful supporters in the U.S. who have launched a campaign to stop the cull. Mehmet Oz, U.S. Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, offered in August to house the birds to study them. U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr has also argued against the cull. The culling had been scheduled for later on Wednesday, the farm’s lawyer Umar Sheikh told Reuters. He said he was “obviously very,
very happy” with the order, but emphasized this is “a very uphill battle” and “this is just a very short, temporary breather.” In the motion for a stay of the cull order, co-owners Karen Espersen and Dave Bilinski included an affidavit from a University of British Columbia professor arguing the ostriches have immunity to avian flu. The farm, whose owners say they specialize in studying ostrich antibodies, had argued culling the birds would cause “irreparable harm” and “permanently destroy unique genetics and a specialized research-based business.” The ostriches’ reprieve could be short-lived as the court has yet to determine the ostriches’ fate. The food inspection agency maintains custody of the birds and has until October 3 to file its reply to the farm’s application to the Supreme Court. The court said it will deal with the case on an expedited basis. In a statement Wednesday evening, the food inspection agency said it will comply w