More than 500 ducks and geese have died near Parma. And the Idaho Department of Fish and Game says it knows why.
Two weeks ago, someone found hundreds of dead birds on private land at Fort Boise. Fish and Game says between 500 and 600 birds were at the site. Canada geese, mallard ducks, even a red-tailed hawk died. Several of the birds were sent to the Department’s Wildlife Health Laboratory to be tested.
The culprit is avian cholera. It’s caused by a bacterial infection and can kill in six to 12 hours of exposure. Dead or dying birds can carry and spread the disease. It killed more than 2,000 birds along the Snake River in Washington last month.
Fort Boise is a migratory stopover for thousands of birds each spring. The dead birds were buried to keep scavengers from ingesting the bacterium.
Avian cholera is not a high risk disease for people. The Department says if anyone finds large numbers of dead birds, they should report it to Fish and Game.
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