A holding pen that just one day earlier housed 300 ostriches now contains their tarp-covered bodies after officials carried out a slaughter late Thursday night.
The pen sits on the grounds of Universal Ostrich Farms in British Columbia, Canada, which has been locked in a legal battle with federal officials over a government‑ordered cull.
Katie Pasitney, daughter of farm owner Karen Pasitney, sobbed while telling the Daily Mail about the loss of the birds, saying: ‘They made a mistake, these animals aren’t poultry, some of them were 35 years old, and every single one had a name.
‘My mom lost everything she loved. Those birds were all that kept her happy. They killed all her babies, and now they’re still lying there under a tarp.’
The deaths came months after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) began investigating the farm following an anonymous report in December that alleged roughly 30 ostrich deaths within three weeks.
Subsequent testing confirmed two birds had contracted H5N1 avian influenza, a highly contagious strain of bird flu. Agency records showed deaths continued through mid-January, ultimately totaling 69.
Pasitney recently pleaded with the Supreme Court of Canada to halt the cull, insisting the birds were healthy and posed no threat to public safety.
Around 6 pm local time on Thursday, trucks and SUVs belonging to the agency arrived at the farm, and several men were seen carrying equipment into the enclosures. The sound of repeated gunfire echoed across the property as supporters gathered outside, praying and shouting for the birds.
Hellbound and Down 