EDGEWOOD, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA — Gunshots rang out at a British Columbia ostrich farm as a Canadian Food Inspection Agency operation to cull hundreds of the birds got underway.
The shots were coming from inside an enclosure built with large hay bales, where staff with the agency had herded scores of the ostriches.
Police have limited access to the property, while bright floodlights and the bales obscured what was happening inside the enclosure after dark had fallen.
But the CFIA says it was moving forward with “complete depopulation and disposal” of the flock, fulfilling an order it issued more than 10 months ago in an avian flu outbreak that went on to kill 70 of the birds.
The owners of the farm near Edgewood in southeastern B.C. fought the order, but on Thursday the Supreme Court of Canada declined to hear their final appeal, lifting a stay on the cull.
By nightfall, two RCMP vehicles were blocking the road leading to the area where supporters have been gathering at the farm, with officers turning people away.
A worker carrying a long bag had earlier been seen entering the enclosure, where two tent-like structures have been set up.
The farm’s owners have said the cull was unnecessary because the flock was healthy and had “herd immunity,” making them valuable for scientific research, while requesting that the birds be tested for infection.
But the CFIA refused, saying ostriches that appear healthy can still be a potential source of the virus and allowing the flock to live increased the risk the virus would dangerously mutate, particularly if the birds were exposed to wildlife.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2025.
Brenna Owen, The Canadian Press
