Twenty-eight penguins found dead on King Island, Tasmania, are being tested for H5N1 bird flu, with authorities warning of continued outbreaks across Australia’s wildlife.
Tasmania’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment confirmed 28 dead penguins and three greater crested terns on King Island on Wednesday, with samples sent for H5N1 testing. Tasmanians care deeply about our wildlife, and particularly our penguins, so we understand that reports like these may be distressing for the community,
said incident controller Wes Ford, urging residents to keep pets indoors and avoid contact with sick or dead animals. The state reported its first H5N1 case on August 13, with 11 confirmed cases as of Thursday, all in northwest Tasmania or on King Island.
Vaccination Efforts Begin Amid Escalating Outbreak
Victoria’s government announced plans to vaccinate up to 5,000 little penguins on Phillip Island and St Kilda after a little penguin tested positive for H5N1, marking Australia’s first confirmed case in the species. We are proceeding with vaccination of the little penguin colony on Phillip Island and at St Kilda as a meaningful way to help mitigate the impact of H5 on those populations,
said James Todd, Victoria’s chief biodiversity officer. The vaccination process, requiring two doses, will take weeks, but authorities accelerated the rollout after the discovery.
Dr. Graeme Cooke, Victoria’s chief veterinary officer, emphasized the challenge of vaccinating wild birds but noted the penguins’ predictable behavior, returning to the same burrows nightly. Agriculture Victoria is working closely with Phillip Island Nature Parks to support vaccination of little penguins from Monday,
he said. The government cited concerns about the virus spreading through densely populated penguin colonies, comparing the risk to “Covid”-like exponential growth. Earthcare St Kilda president Lana Austin warned, If one bird gets it, they will all get it.
Spread Across Wildlife and Regional Response
The H5N1 outbreak has expanded beyond Tasmania, with Victoria recording 74 infections, including two additional cases in greater crested terns. NSW also confirmed its fifth case in a tern at Eden, prompting increased surveillance. We expect to continue receiving reports of sick and dead birds on King Island, along the northwest coast and in other parts of Tasmania,
Ford said, highlighting the virus’s persistence in coastal regions.
Authorities stress that poultry remains free of H5N1, with no detections in the agriculture industry. However, wild bird populations face significant risks. Surveillance teams are collecting dead birds to prevent further transmission, as seen on King Island, where 28 penguins were found dead on Wednesday.
Public Health and Conservation Concerns
Conservationists have raised alarms over the potential for mass penguin deaths, with Euan Ritchie, a Deakin University professor, calling the H5N1 detection in little penguins “devastating.” Phillip Island, home to 40,000 little penguins, is a major tourist attraction, and the outbreak threatens both wildlife and local industries. Governments must provide whatever resources are needed to help wildlife survive through and recover from this bird flu outbreak,
Ritchie said.
The Victorian government has prioritized protecting penguin colonies, with vaccination efforts now a priority to safeguard the species. However, the scale of the operation—ten times larger than any previous vaccination effort—poses logistical challenges. It has never been done at this scale before,
said Dr. Cooke, acknowledging the complexity of the task. Meanwhile, free-range chickens in southern Victoria remain under lockdown, though the poultry sector remains infection-free.
Ongoing Surveillance and Community Engagement
Authorities are ramping up surveillance across affected regions, with DEECA urging residents to report sick or dead birds. On King Island, NRE staff collected dead birds to prevent further spread, while officials warned of continued reports of wildlife mortality.
The public is advised to avoid contact with sick or dead animals and to use online reporting tools or the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline (1800 675 888) for wildlife incidents. As the outbreak evolves, authorities remain focused on minimizing its impact on both ecosystems and communities.
