On a small island off South Australia's coast, the long-anticipated arrival of H5N1 bird flu into native wildlife has likely begun — forty-nine greater crested terns dead, thirty-five more ailing, and a nation bracing for what experts have warned would eventually come. The virus does not respect borders drawn by hope or preparation, and the precedent from South America — where hundreds of thousands of birds and tens of thousands of sea mammals perished within months — offers a sobering mirror for what Australia may now face. With eradication declared no longer feasible, the question has shifte
Australia braces for 'tsunami of devastation' as H5N1 spreads through wildlife
Massive wildlife mortality expected across native bird and marine mammal populations; endangered species like Australian sea lions and Tasmanian devils face severe population impacts.