A bird flu outbreak in northern Israel has killed at least 5,200 migratory cranes and forced farmers to slaughter hundreds of thousands of chickens as authorities try to contain what they say is the deadliest wildlife disaster in the nation's history. Uri Naveh, a senior scientist at the Israel Parks and Nature Authority, said the situation is not yet under control. Environmental Protection Minister Tamar Zandberg called the crisis "the most serious damage to wildlife in the history of the country." About 500,000 cranes pass through Israel each year on the way to Africa and a small number stay behind, Michaeli said. Michaeli said it is believed that the cranes were infected by smaller birds that had contact with farms suffering from outbreaks.

Source: The North Africa Journal December 28, 2021 08:30 UTC