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Massive death off of some 200 migrating snow geese in eastern Idaho likely due to avian cholera, statement made by the state’s Department of Fish and Game earlier this week.
The snow geese just fell out of sky and their bodies are recovered form the Mud Lake and Market Lake Wildlife Management Areas in the southeast region of Idaho. Avian cholera is a disease that comes on quickly and can kill bird’s mid-flight, biologists say.
The authorities said the snow geese were migrating from the Southwest and Mexico to breeding grounds on Alaska’s north coast where the geese breed during warmer months.
“It’s unclear where they picked up the bacteria, outbreaks of avian cholera have occurred sporadically in the region over the past few decades,” said Steve Schmidt, a regional Fish and Game supervisor.
Officially it is not declared by the state wildlife lab whether avian cholera is behind the massive fall but it is much likely that the bacteria are responsible for this.
To prevent other birds getting infected, “The important thing is to quickly collect as many of the carcasses as possible, to prevent other birds from feeding on the infected birds,” Schmidt said
Humans are at a low risk of getting infected by this disease, a statement made by U.S. Geological Survey’s National Wildlife Health Center.
A major concern is that some close to 20 bald eagles were spotted near the carcasses. It is difficult for the officials to spot the infected eagles because of the delayed incubation period of avian cholera.
