Australia has begun what is described as the world’s first large-scale penguin vaccination programme to protect the birds from the spread of H5N1 bird flu among wildlife.
Around 1,000 little penguins have already received their first vaccine dose as part of the programme at Phillip Island. Authorities have approved vaccinations for up to 5,000 penguins on Phillip Island and another 800 at St Kilda.
Each penguin will receive two doses, administered about 21 to 28 days apart. During the process, the birds are also examined, weighed and fitted with microchips before being released back into the wild.
The vaccination effort comes as H5N1 continues to spread among Australian wildlife. A seal in South Australia recently became the country’s first confirmed mammalian case, while another suspected case was reported near a major colony of endangered sea lions.
Phillip Island is home to the world’s largest little penguin colony, with an estimated population of around 40,000 birds. Simulation studies suggest a major outbreak could potentially kill between 8,000 and 16,000 penguins, highlighting the importance of early protection measures.
