First case of bird flu in endangered Australian sea lion confirmed – as it happened
Guardian AU Business
•Sun, 13 Sep 2026 05:02:29 GMT
📰 What Happened
South Australia has confirmed its first H5 bird flu case in an endangered Australian sea lion. A ranger found the animal dead at Seal Bay on Kangaroo Island on Friday. It had a shark wound from three months earlier and was already being watched. Tests came back strongly positive for H5 bird flu, and the government said the shark wound was not the cause of death.
🔍 The Backstory
Seal Bay has about 800 resident Australian sea lions, the third-largest colony and about 5 percent of the species. Roughly three quarters of Australia's sea lion population lives in South Australia. Australia's first case in a mainland mammal was confirmed in August, in a long-nosed fur seal at Beachport. Scientists warned of possible carnage after the virus hit seals in South America.
🎯 Why It Matters
Bird flu reaching seals and sea lions is a new threat to wildlife that is already rare. It also raises questions about how the virus spreads between animals and people.
South Australia has confirmed its first H5 bird flu case in an endangered Australian sea lion. A ranger found the animal dead at Seal Bay on Kangaroo Island on Friday. It had a shark wound from three months earlier and was already being watched. Tests came back strongly positive for H5 bird flu, and the government said the shark wound was not the cause of death.
Seal Bay has about 800 resident Australian sea lions, the third-largest colony and about 5 percent of the species. Roughly three quarters of Australia's sea lion population lives in South Australia. Australia's first case in a mainland mammal was confirmed in August, in a long-nosed fur seal at Beachport. Scientists warned of possible carnage after the virus hit seals in South America.
Bird flu reaching seals and sea lions is a new threat to wildlife that is already rare. It also raises questions about how the virus spreads between animals and people.