Penguin Bird Flu Vaccination Drive Passes 1,000-Dose Milestone

Victoria's little penguin population is receiving a crucial defense against bird flu, with around 1,000 birds now vaccinated. The ongoing effort at Phillip Island and St Kilda aims to administer a H5N1 vaccine to 5,000 penguins. This ambitious program, believed to be a world first for this species, involves rounding up hundreds of birds nightly for vaccination.

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We know that bird flu is here, we know we can't stop it but we want to put the penguin colony in the best possible place to ensure that they are protected as much as possible.

Last night marked a milestone as the 1,000th bird received its first dose at Phillip Island Nature Park, southeast of Melbourne. This development coincides with the detection of the deadly bird flu strain in a long-nosed fur seal in South Australia, signifying the virus's first confirmed jump to Australia's mammal population. Phillip Island, home to the world's largest colony of about 40,000 little penguins, faces a potential crisis, with worst-case modeling suggesting an outbreak could kill between 8,000 and 16,000 birds.

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It will provide a level of protection but importantly, it may provide a level of ability to recover from the disease if it does catch it.

Environment Minister Jaclyn Symes stated that penguins featured in Phillip Island's nightly "parade" have now received their initial vaccination. A second dose is scheduled in three to four weeks. "We know that bird flu is here, we know we can't stop it but we want to put the penguin colony in the best possible place to ensure that they are protected as much as possible," Symes said. She added that while the vaccine aims to boost antibodies and potentially aid recovery, its effectiveness in preventing infection entirely remains unknown.

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They are feisty little animals; you do go home with a few bites and scratches. We're trying to process them as quickly as we can but as gentle and safe as we can to make sure these penguins are happy and healthy.

The vaccination process, led by Phillip Island Nature Parks reserve manager Ben Thomas, requires careful handling of the "feisty little animals." Teams work late each night, trapping penguins on the beach and moving them to smaller pens for vaccination. Despite the challenges and the "few bites and scratches" involved, Thomas noted a sense of urgency among the team. "They do live shoulder to shoulder so once [the flu] arrives, it may spread quite quickly," he explained, highlighting the need for swift and gentle processing to maintain the penguins' health.

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They do live shoulder to shoulder so once [the flu] arrives, it may spread quite quickly.