‘Pandemic potential’: Test results pending as second bird tested for deadly H5 flu
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Results are expected to come back on Monday from testing on a second bird after Australia‘s first case of the deadly H5 bird flu was confirmed on Western Australia’s south coast.
Parks and Wildlife Service rangers, who spent Sunday on the ground in Esperance, called on the public to report any sick or dead animals, as experts admitted the strain had “pandemic potential” but was at a low risk of affecting humans.
Parks and Wildlife Service rangers spent Sunday, June 21, 2026, on the ground in Esperance after H5 bird flu was discovered in a dead bird. 9News
Cape Le Grand National Park, about 600 kilometres south-east of Perth, remains at the centre of a potential wildlife emergency.
“There’s certainly a heightened awareness of this around town,” Esperance Shire President Ron Chambers said.
A brown skua migratory seabird tested positive to H5 bird flu at the weekend but testing was still under way on a dead giant petrel to confirm whether it was infected.
The first confirmation of the deadly strain’s presence in Australia has resulted in a race to protect the nation’s wildlife, from the black swan to the Tasmanian devil and sea lion.
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“We are very concerned for our native wildlife and our livestock industries as well,” Western Australian government minister Reece Whitby said on Sunday.
“It has to be taken seriously.”
Tracey Lang runs Esperance Bird and Animal Park Cafe, which has more than 300 birds and thousands of visitors a year.
Esperance Shire President Ron Chambers called on people to report dead birds after H5 bird flu was discovered in Western Australia. 9News
Following recent rain, she’s currently concerned with trying to stop the wild birds it attracted from getting in.
“We may potentially lose the lot. We have to be ready for that,” she said.
The poultry industry is also on high alert, ramping up security measures.
“This is their livelihoods on the line if this outbreak really spreads and takes hold,” WA Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas said.
“So it’s very important that there is full disclosure.”
This brown skua, found at Cape Le Grand National Park near Esperance and taken in by a carer, is Australia's first confirmed H5 strain case. 9News
The deadly disease wipes out millions of animals around the world.
There have been 16 reports of dead birds between Perth and Esperance, including five seabirds.
Samples are being collected and further tests will be done to establish whether they have the disease.
“If you see any sick birds or dead birds, stay away from them but report their location and report it to the authorities,” Chambers said.
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