Arabic version: إنفلونزا الطيور H5 تقتل أسد بحر أسترالياً مهدداً بالانقراض

According to The Guardian, South Australia has recorded the first death of an endangered Australian sea lion from H5 bird flu. The animal was found dead at Seal Bay on Kangaroo Island, home to the third-largest single colony of the species.

South Australian environment minister Emily Bourke said the sea lion had been recovering from a shark attack, but tests returned a strong positive result for H5 bird flu. The government said the animal had first been observed with its shark wound three months earlier and had been monitored since then. Authorities were confident the wound did not cause its death.

About 12,000 Australian sea lions remain, although a more recent estimate put the population below 10,000. Most live in South Australia, with the remainder in Western Australia. Bourke said 85% of the population is in South Australia and described the species as endangered. Seal Bay is estimated to have 800 Australian sea lions.

There were no other known endangered sea lion deaths at Seal Bay, but authorities were closely monitoring the population. Bourke said there was no readily available mammal vaccine, while noting experimental work involving cattle in the United States and monk seals in Hawaii. South Australia has been working with the federal government on possible participation in a vaccine trial.

Bourke said the population had already been declining by 2% each year before bird flu arrived. H5 bird flu has affected pinnipeds in South America and sub-Antarctica, particularly pups. In August, South Australia confirmed Australia’s first case in a mainland mammal after a dead long-nosed fur seal at Beachport tested positive for H5N1.