LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa. – The Pennsylvania Game Commission confirms it had to euthanize hundreds of snow geese at two Lehigh Valley quarries in an effort to slow the spread of avian flu.
Game Commission spokesman Travis Lau said game wardens used lead-free ammunition to depopulate a quarry in Nazareth and another in Fogelsville. Keepers removed 450 birds in Nazareth and 150 in Fogelsville.
Lau says that since a January 2 press release regarding bird flu and its deadly toll, the death rate of birds in the region has risen to 5,000.
Local quarries are the two hottest spots in Pennsylvania for bird flu, although officials continue to receive reports from other parts of the state of bird deaths.
When Game Commission officials visited the sites this week to carry out abatement efforts, arriving crews observed many birds already dead. Lau says overall bird flu mortality in the Lehigh Valley is higher than in other parts of the state.
In addition to snow geese, the Game Commission has tested positive for avian flu in some Canada geese, and Lau has heard of red-tailed hawks also testing positive.
The Game Commission continues to caution the public against handling sick, injured or dead birds and reporting them by calling 833-742-9453 (833-PGC-WILD.)
Sick or dead domestic birds can also be reported to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture at 717-772-2852.
If you have been in contact with sick or dead birds and are not feeling well, contact your healthcare provider or the Pennsylvania Department of Health at 877-724-3258.