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Hundreds of dead birds have been collected from a Kāpiti Coast lake.
Avian botulism is thought to be behind the deaths of up to 400 mainly mallard ducks at Waikanae beach’s Pharazyn Reserve, Kāpiti Coast District Council parks and recreation manager Alison Law said.
The council was working with animal welfare groups to collect sick and dead birds from the reserve and had posted signs warning pet owners to take care.
The disease was spread through the carcasses and could make other animals sick if they ate an infected bird.
A bird carcass had been sent to Massey University’s Wildbase Pathology unit for testing for the disease, Law said. “Although it is widely believed by all participating agencies that avian botulism is the cause of death.
“Avian botulism is tested for and detected in the body of an infected bird, not in a water source.”
A Kāpiti resident, who walked her dog at the on-leash reserve last week said she was used to seeing hundreds of birds at the lagoon and was struck by how empty and quiet the area was.
In January, two swans at Waimanu Lagoon, just south of Pharazyn Reserve, died due to suspected avian botulism.
Since then, animal welfare groups have cared for a number of birds struck down with the disease.
Courtesy of stuff.co.nz
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