Heard Island (Antarctica) (AFP) – A pathogenic strain of bird flu has killed more than 13,000 elephant seal pups after infecting a breeding colony on a sub-Antarctic volcanic island, according to Australian scientists. 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.
