21 August 2026
Wildlife authorities and conservation biologists across Australia are confronting a rapid escalation of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5, following the discovery of more than 1,000 dead seabirds across multiple offshore breeding colonies and the launch of unprecedented emergency vaccination campaigns for vulnerable native species.
Aerial surveillance and field assessments conducted by South Australian authorities detected three major mass mortality events on offshore islands, marking the largest wildlife casualty events since the deadly H5 strain reached mainland Australia. Over 1,000 greater crested terns, were found dead across Troubridge Island (off the Yorke Peninsula) and the Pages Islands near Kangaroo Island. Furthermore, wildlife health teams are actively investigating mortality clusters among little penguins, including dozens found dead on King Island, Tasmania, and suspected cases on Kangaroo Island.
On Victoria’s Phillip Island, home to one of the world's largest colonies of little penguins, wildlife personnel and veterinarians have launched a rapid intervention to capture and vaccinate more than 5,000 little penguins against the virulent H5N1 strain.
