Gunshots at ostrich farm as cull at B.C. farm moves ahead

EDGEWOOD, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA — An operation to kill hundreds of ostriches at a British Columbia farm is underway, with numerous gunshots heard on the property overnight.

The shots were coming from inside a hay bale enclosure where Canadian Food Inspection Agency staff had herded scores of the birds.

Police have limited access to the property and blinding floodlights and the wall of hay prevented people seeing what was happening inside the enclosure overnight.

But the CFIA says it’s moving forward with “complete depopulation and disposal” of the flock, fulfilling an order it issued more than 10 months ago amid an avian flu outbreak.

The owners of the farm near Edgewood, B.C., fought the order, but on Thursday the Supreme Court of Canada declined to hear their final appeal, lifting a stay on the cull.

By nightfall, two RCMP vehicles were blocking the road leading to the farm, and officers were turning people away.

A worker carrying a long bag had earlier been seen entering the enclosure, where two tent-like structures have been set up.

The farm’s owners said the cull was unnecessary because the flock was healthy and had “herd immunity,” making them valuable for scientific research, while requesting that the birds be tested for infection.

But the CFIA refused, saying ostriches that appear healthy can still be a potential source of the virus, and that allowing the flock to live increased the risk the virus would dangerously mutate, particularly if the birds were exposed to wildlife.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2025.