A pathogenic strain of bird flu kills more than 13,000 elephant seal pups after infecting a breeding colony on a sub-Antarctic volcanic island, Australian scientists said on June 18, 2026. Researchers found the remote Heard and McDonald Islands littered with seal carcasses when they arrived on a research expedition in October 2025. Genetic testing confirmed the contagious H5 bird flu strain had killed seals, penguins and birds living on the rocky outcrop -- the first time it had been detected in one of Australia's external territories.
VIDEO BY AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
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