Rat Island
Bird flu outbreak in Washington possibly spreading to seals
A bird flu outbreak around Fort Flagler State Park near Port Townsend may be spreading to mammals, according to the state Department of Health. As of last week, an outbreak of a deadly strain of the avian influenza had likely killed 1,700 gulls and Caspian terns on Rat Island – a small wildlife preserve near […]
Bird flu outbreak stokes fears for Washington’s wild birds
The spread of bird flu has left Washington wildlife officials scrambling to test suspected cases and cleaning up hundreds of tern and gull carcasses along the coast of an island in northern Puget Sound. Avian flu has historically affected mostly poultry, but a new strain – H5N1 – is proving deadly for wild birds as […]