Australian Bird Flu Alert

Rangers on flu alert as birds arrive from Asia

RANGERS across the [South Australian] state's South-East are on high alert for an outbreak of the deadly bird flu strain in hundreds of thousands of wild migratory birds.In wetlands across the Limestone Coast, particularly the pristine Bool Lagoon and Coorong, wild bird populations are being monitored closely by the 12 Environment Department Rangers on patrol as the birds start arriving from Asia, where the H5N1 strain of avian influenza has killed more than 60 people.
Primary Industries and Resources South Australia director of animal health Robin Vandegraaff said rangers and ecologists across South Australia had been put "on alert".
"They are particularly monitoring migratory waterbirds," Mr Vandegraaff said.

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The Limestone Coast's Meet the Waders Festival, which has run for the whole of November, encourages tourists to bring the binoculars and watch the thousands of migratory and nomadic birds. Bird flocks are concentrated in the Bool Lagoon and Coorong areas, with the festival officially finishing on November 30, although the birds remain until the start of February.

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Hundreds of thousands of migratory birds start arriving [in the South East of South Australia] in November after flying thousands of kilometres from distant breeding grounds in Siberia, Asia and the Arctic Circle.

Original complete story by: KARA PHILLIPS 26nov05

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