A long legal battle to save hundreds of ostriches at a British Columbia farm has come to an end. After Canada’s Supreme Court declined to hear the case on Thursday, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced it would move forward with a “complete depopulation and disposal” of the flock, according to the Guardian.
Universal Ostrich Farms had been ordered back in May to destroy more than 300 ostriches following a deadly outbreak of avian flu that killed 69 of the birds. This week, government officials formally took control of the property. Witnesses described a tense scene Thursday as workers in hazmat suits tried to corral the massive birds while protesters shouted and held signs outside the gates, reports the CBC.
The ostriches have drawn attention and sympathy far beyond Canada’s borders. In May, U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. publicly called on the CFIA to spare the birds. Dr. Mehmet Oz, who currently serves as administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, offered to relocate them to his Florida ranch. Billionaire businessman John Catsimatidis also urged Canadian authorities to reconsider the cull.
At home, Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre said the situation had been “mismanaged,” though he stopped short of taking a position on the protests.
Federal officials insist the cull aligns with World Health Organization guidelines to contain the spread of avian flu. The CFIA says its “stamping out” policy is designed to protect both public and animal health while safeguarding Canada’s $6.8 billion poultry industry and the broader economy.
But animal advocates and the farm’s owners argue the decision is unnecessary, claiming most of the ostriches appear healthy and may have developed natural immunity.
Farm spokesperson Katie Pasitney, daughter of one of the owners, accused the CFIA of “murdering” healthy animals. “They are prehistoric creatures that have survived millions of years, but they won’t survive the Canadian Food Inspection Agency,” she said.
As workers rounded up the birds Thursday, Pasitney shouted, “CFIA, you can stop! Run, pretty birds!” Supporters parked along a nearby highway set off fireworks and blasted rock music in a desperate attempt to startle the ostriches into escaping.
The Guardian described the demonstrations as part of a broader wave of “post-pandemic skepticism toward government,” with many online commenters voicing doubts about both vaccines and official disease-control measures.