Mounties have been called to an ostrich farm in British Columbia’s Interior, where approximately 400 birds are set to be culled due to concerns of avian flu. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) are providing assistance to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), which has been authorized to carry out the cull under a search warrant.
Katie Pasitney, a spokesperson for the farm, reported that a convoy of police vehicles and waste disposal trucks has gathered outside the Edgewood property on Monday morning. The farm received information from a source on Friday indicating that the CFIA would proceed with the cull in the near future, although the CFIA had not disclosed the exact timing of the operation.
Over the weekend, a British Columbia vehicle rental company revealed that their vehicles had been contracted by the CFIA for the operation. Following backlash on review platforms, Clearway Trucks clarified on social media and their website that they were unaware of their trucks being utilized for the cull and demanded their return. On Sunday night, the company announced on Facebook that they had repossessed the trucks.