South Australia has recorded the first death of an endangered Australian sea lion from H5 bird flu, raising concerns for the species’ already dwindling population.
SA Environment Minister Emily Bourke said the sea lion had been found at Seal Bay on Kangaroo Island and had been recovering from a shark attack, which might have made it more susceptible to the virus (The Canberra Times).
Bourke warned that other parts of the world had seen a “devastating impact” of bird flu on sea lions and seals. SA is home to about 85% of the country’s sea lions, with the population already declining by roughly 2% every year (ABC).
In some cases across the world, populations of seals affected by the disease have experienced reductions in pup numbers of up to 95% (The Canberra Times).