Hundreds of cranes die of chicken flu in Israel’s worst wildlife catastrophe

An outbreak of avian flu has killed greater than 5,000 migratory cranes in Israel, prompting authorities to declare a preferred nature reserve off-limits to guests and warn of a doable egg scarcity as native poultry are culled as a precaution.

“That is the worst blow to wildlife within the nation’s historical past,” Setting Minister Tamar Zandberg Tweeted as rangers in protecting fits collected carcasses from a lake within the northern Hula Nature Reserve and outlying marshes.

Lots of of hundreds of chickens had been culled, she mentioned.

Israeli media mentioned kids who had visited the reserve could have touched a stricken crane and thus contributed to the unfold of the flu. Authorities had been trying to import eggs from overseas and avert an egg scarcity because of the cull, the experiences mentioned.