Hundreds of dead seal pups have been found on Heard Island, a remote Australian territory in the southern Indian Ocean, with scientists fearing an outbreak of the deadly H5N1 avian flu a virus that has devastated wildlife populations worldwide since 2021.
The discovery was made during a recent 10-day expedition by researchers from the Australian Antarctic Division. The team initially reported healthy wildlife in the area but later came across numerous seal carcasses scattered along the island’s shores, prompting urgent investigations.
The Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has confirmed that tests are underway to determine whether the highly contagious H5N1 strain is responsible. Officials suspect the virus may have reached the island after it was detected on nearby sub-Antarctic islands earlier this year.
Although Australia has so far managed to keep the virus from reaching its mainland, experts are concerned that the infection could spread deeper into Antarctic ecosystems home to vulnerable seal and seabird populations with little to no immunity against such diseases.
Authorities have stressed that strict biosecurity measures are in place to prevent further transmission, but the incident underscores how even the world’s most isolated wildlife sanctuaries are not immune to the global spread of avian influenza.
If confirmed, the outbreak on Heard Island would mark one of the southernmost occurrences of H5N1 to date, raising fears of long-term ecological impacts on fragile Antarctic marine life.