• By Jarrod Whittaker
• ABC Gippsland
• Topic:Avian Influenza
• Authorities confirm fox death from bird flu in Victoria, suspected case in dolphin – ABC News

Posted Thu at 10:56pmThursday at 10:56pm

In short:

Victorian authorities have confirmed the death of a fox from H5 bird flu at Torquay, south-west of Melbourne.

The virus is also suspected to have killed a dolphin at Lorne.

What’s next?

Victorian authorities plan to prioritise threatened species in captivity for vaccination.

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H5 bird flu has been detected in a fox in Victoria’s south-west, in the state’s first recorded case in mammals, authorities say.

Authorities also suspect a dolphin found dead at Lorne died of the virus.

Acting chief veterinary officer Cameron Gunn said the infected fox was found dead on Victoria’s Surf Coast.

“We have now confirmed H5 bird flu in a red fox recently found at Torquay collected through our ongoing surveillance and monitoring effort,” Dr Gunn said.

But authorities are not concerned about foxes spreading the disease.

“Wild foxes and other scavenging pests have not generally been shown to spread the actual virus when they become infected,” Dr Gunn said.

The greater risk was of foxes moving infected carcasses around, he said.

Victoria has recorded 212 positive cases in birds from a total of 892 investigations conducted since June 20.

Victorian authorities have detected H5 bird flu in numerous species, including greater crested terns, magpies and little penguins.

A little penguin on Phillip Island died from the virus last month and the state is in the process of vaccinating the colony.

Breeding season risk

The discovery of the dead dolphin at Lorne comes a week after the death of a dolphin on South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula from H5 bird flu.

Victorian chief biodiversity officer James Todd said detections in seals and dolphins were not unexpected, and the virus was expected to spread to new species and other parts of Victoria.

“Particularly as we head into the spring breeding season, where large numbers of birds typically flock and aggregate around, for example, coastal estuaries and inland waterways and wetlands,” Dr Todd said.

As a result, the government was focusing its surveillance on areas deemed high-risk, including the Mornington Peninsula, Port Phillip Bay, Western Port Bay and the Gippsland Lakes.

Vaccinations results

A dead bird found on Sydney’s northern beaches last week has been confirmed as the city’s first case of H5 bird flu, bringing NSW’s total to 20.

Wildlife advocacy group Birdlife Australia said it was concerned about the virus’s effect on endangered species.

Birdlife Australia senior public relations adviser Sean Dooley said the virus could spread “quite rapidly” and he was most concerned about it spreading to breeding colonies of endangered species.

NSW announced a vaccination program in August, and the Victorian government has vaccinated about 1,000 little penguins.

Dr Todd said the vaccinated penguins on Phillip Island and at St Kilda Pier had shown an immune response and no adverse impacts.

“Of course, we know that vaccination is not a silver bullet,” he said.

“It is a tool that can be used in targeted situations, mostly for captive populations and highly managed and well-studied wild populations like little penguins at Phillip Island and St Kilda.”

Threatened species held by Zoos Victoria and other wildlife centres would be prioritised for vaccination, he said.

But he warned Australia was still at the beginning of the spread of the virus and people should expect that wildlife would continue to suffer and die.

“Overseas experience shows that wildlife or impacted wildlife populations can recover from H5 [bird flu] and they can adapt and in some cases they can also build natural immunity,” Dr Todd said.

“But it’s also observed from overseas that the virus can continue to impact on populations even at a time when they might be starting to recover.”

• Published: Sep. 05, 2026, 10:56 a.m.

By 

• Ann Marie Barron | ABarron@siadvance.com
• Report: Net placed under a Bayonne bridge is trapping birds – silive.com

Officials in a New Jersey city set up a net to keep pigeons away from a bridge in an effort to address a nuisance for residents, but the solution is keeping some trapped inside, NBC News 4 New York is reporting.

The net under the bridge at Broadway and West Eighth Street in Bayonne has only been up for a few days, but it has already started to ruffle some feathers for residents, the report said.

Flying Traffic Light Almost Crushes Pedestrian as Severe Storms Wreck Havoc on Toronto

The net was supposed to help cut down the amount of bird droppings under bridges, which they describe as an ongoing public health concern, they told News 4. Residents agree there is a problem to solve.

Eileen Murphy, who frequently passes through the area, told the outlet that she has to cover her nose and mouth whenever she goes by. She says it’s because she has COPD and worries about what she’s breathing in.

“They just put (the nets) up, so we’ll see. But I’m still concerned about it,” said Murphy.

“It’s definitely a lot better. It’s disgusting, we’d have to walk in the street, it was terrible,” said resident Fred Gattuso.

But some questioned the city’s solution.

“It’s horrible what’s happening to these pigeons that are trapped up in there,” Gattuso said. “They could’ve done this a little better to be honest.”

“I mean, I understand what they’re doing or trying to do, but they should incorporate a way so the pigeons have a place to be,” another resident, David Finney, told News 4.

MORE BY ANN MARIE BARRON

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“Since learning about the issue, the administration has been working to determine how the matter could be addressed as quickly and safely as possible,” a city official responded to News 4. “The city’s department of public works and the vendor have been actively engaged to remove the birds as expeditiously as possible. 48-hour checks transitioned to daily checks, with multiple releases being made.”

As of Friday, the city estimates there are only about five remaining birds stuck inside the netting and the plan is to trap and release them shortly, the city spokesperson said.

Officials are urging the public not to feed any of the trapped birds.

Provided by PR Newswire  Sep 4, 2026, 12:13:00 PM

HUNTER NATION CELEBRATES HISTORIC TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER PUTTING IN MOTION THE DELISTING OF THE GRAY WOLF FROM THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT | Morningstar

HUNTER NATION CELEBRATES HISTORIC TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER PUTTING IN MOTION THE DELISTING OF THE GRAY WOLF FROM THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

HUNTER NATION CELEBRATES HISTORIC TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER PUTTING IN MOTION THE DELISTING OF THE GRAY WOLF FROM THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

PR Newswire

MISSION, Kan., Sept. 4, 2026

• Monumental Victory for Hunters, Ranchers, Farmers and Rural America 
• Restores Science-Based Wildlife Management to States, Protects Livestock, Big Game Herds, and Rural Communities Nationwide

MISSION, Kan., Sept. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Hunter Nation, Inc., the nation’s leading grassroots advocacy organization dedicated to preserving America’s hunting heritage, celebrated President Donald J. Trump’s landmark Executive Order taking the first step towards delisting the Gray and Mexican wolf from the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

The Executive Order recognizes the biological reality that gray wolf populations have far exceeded all federal recovery thresholds. It directs the Department of the Interior to determine whether gray wolves or Mexican wolves meet the criteria for delisting or downlisting under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and begin the process of delisting or downlisting. 

The order also directs the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture to update their standards for compensating ranchers for losses due to predators and ease authorization for lethal removal when necessary.

In regions across the Great Lakes and the American West, gray wolf populations have surged well past initial targets—exceeding historical recovery goals by more than tenfold in key areas—while devastating elk and deer herds, slaughtering livestock, and threatening family pets and rural livelihoods. Today’s action puts in motion an end to decades of federal overreach and aligns federal policy with sound biological data.

Keith Mark, Founder and CEO of Hunter Nation, issued the following statement:
“President Donald J. Trump has, once again, proven that he stands shoulder-to-shoulder with America’s hunters, ranchers, farmers, and rural communities. The recovery of the Gray and Mexican wolf is one of the greatest conservation success stories in American history, and today’s Executive Order is the first step to restore common sense, respect for real science, and return wildlife management back where it belongs—to each state and the people who live closest to the land. This is the biggest policy win for hunters in decades. President Trump had the courage to cut through the red tape, uphold the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, and deliver a historic victory for sportsmen and rural America. On behalf of Hunter Nation and hunters all across America, thank you, President Trump, for your bold, unwavering leadership.”

Ted Nugent, Hunter Nation Board Member, National Spokesperson, and Lifelong Conservationist, added:
“As the modern world returns to their honest relationship with nature, President Donald Trump has heard the conservation battle cry thanks to Keith Mark and our Hunter Nation families and took the first step to put the magnificent Gray Wolf back in the asset column where it belongs. All rejoice and celebrate that the recovery of the Gray Wolf is on the path to be managed respectfully based on the true nature lovers that actually live with and respect the mighty beast! Thank you President Trump!”

This has been the number one policy priority for Hunter Nation since its founding.

What the Executive Order Does:

Combat Predation – Wolf Predation
American farmers and ranchers deserve the protection this Executive Order will provide: 

• The Executive Order directs the Department of the Interior to determine whether gray wolves or Mexican wolves meet the criteria for delisting or downlisting under the Endangered Species Act (ESA),and begin the process of delisting or downlisting. 
• The Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture are also directed to update their standards for compensating ranchers for losses due to predators, and to ease authorization for lethal removal when necessary. 

Hunter Nation encourages all sportsmen, ranchers, and rural Americans to join Hunter Nation to protect this victory as legal and regulatory battles move forward.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hunter-nation-celebrates-historic-trump-executive-order-putting-in-motion-the-delisting-of-the-gray-wolf-from-the-endangered-species-act-302870385.html

SOURCE Hunter Nation

Wild beim Wild is documenting the 2026/27 hunting season in Grisons on an ongoing basis. The ticker features official notices, incidents, violations, kills and other notable occurrences – updated chronologically.

Wild beim Wild editorial team — 5 September 2026

Grisons Hunting 2026/27: All Incidents in the Live Ticker

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Grisons is entering the 2026/27 hunting season with 4,616 planned red deer kills and the third proactive wolf regulation in a row.

Just how deeply hobby hunting is culturally rooted in Grisons is shown in the article The psychology of hobby hunting in the canton of Grisons..

Ticker

05.09.2026
SAT 08:05

Silencers banned – unless they come in handy: Grisons’ hunting rules contradict themselves

In Grisons, night vision and thermal imaging devices are in principle banned for hobby hunting, silencers require a permit, and luring hoofed game is prohibited. Yet those very limits fall away the moment they suit the canton: for the night hunt on wild boars in the Mesolcina, thermal imaging technology is relaxed; for wait hunting on the fox, there is no luring ban at all; and the carrion bait site with animal bait remains permitted, while baiting red deer is prohibited. The same goes for mobile phones, which the official catalogue of examination questions once expressly banned for hunting purposes: today a clear wording is missing, even though it is precisely real-time coordination by mobile phone that can turn an entire hunting party into a tracking group. The contradiction becomes clearest in an admission from within their own ranks: the low hunt on fox, badger and hare, of which wait hunting forms part, was described by the former Grisons association president Robert Brunold himself as «not necessary, but justified». A set of rules that organises an unnecessary hobby hunt down to the last detail protects no wild animals – it administers a hobby. More on this in the detailed article.

04.09.2026
FRI 06:46

AJF co-head justifies wolf kills – but is a hobby hunter himself

Adrian Arquint, co-head of the Office for Hunting and Fishing, defends the third wolf regulation as proportionate: falling numbers of livestock killed are supposedly proof that the kills work. In fact, the predation rate was already declining before preventive regulation was introduced in 2023, largely thanks to expanded herd protection. His own office is moreover applying for the complete removal of the Calderas pack, while Arquint simultaneously claims the aim is to act «without wiping out entire packs». Particularly telling: Arquint is himself a passionate hobby hunter and closely intertwined with the cantonal licence hunters’ association. The fate of the Grisons wolves is therefore not decided by an independent wildlife authority, but by an office management with a personal interest in hunting roe deer and red deer, the wolf’s natural competitors for food. More on this in the detailed article.

04.09.2026
Fri 05:35

Five myths fact-checked: what the Grisons hunting interview leaves out

At the start of the season, the new licence hunters’ president Benjamin Hefti and a cultural anthropologist paint a conciliatory picture of hobby hunting in the «Südostschweiz». The fact check takes apart five central claims: the formula «Bio Bio Plus» for game meat is hunting marketing, not proof of quality; according to the WHO’s cancer research agency, processed game meat counts as a Group 1 carcinogen. The regulation argument regarding red deer is a circular one, because the decline in the population coincides in time with the return of wolf and lynx. Over 1’000 charges and fines are brought against Grisons hobby hunters every year. And the low hunt of fox, badger and hare was described by the association’s own former president Robert Brunold himself as «not necessary, but justified». More on this in the detailed fact check.

02.09.2026
Wed 06:08

War in the forest: it is not hobby hunting that adapts, but everyone else

From September into winter, hunting takes place in Grisons, yet the annual safety advice is not aimed at hobby hunters but at hikers, bikers and dog owners, who are the ones expected to adapt. Former association president Robert Brunold himself described the low hunt as «not necessary, but justified», an admission that licence hunting is not about ecological management but about a leisure interest. A former head of the cantonal hunting office openly said that it is «a particular pleasure» to shoot an animal «that you know». Twice the Federal Supreme Court had to correct Grisons politics, because the government and parliament had wrongly declared hunting-critical popular initiatives invalid; in one case an exonerating FOEN statement was even withheld from parliament. More on this in the detailed article.

01.09.2026
Tue 08:30

4’616 planned red deer kills: the canton fails to prove the necessity

For 2026, Grisons plans to kill 4’616 red deer. The figure is communicated transparently, but that does not make it proof of ecological necessity. The special hunt in late autumn is not an exception but a firmly planned second instrument, applied as soon as the high hunt falls short of its targets. During the 2022 high hunt, roughly one in ten kills involved an animal that was not permitted for hunting. At the same time, the canton acknowledges that wolf and lynx reduce calf mortality, yet continues to classify the decline in the population it manages as a success of hobby hunting. More on this in the detailed article.

28.08.2026
Fri 14:30

Third wolf regulation despite halved livestock kills: shooting in advance

From 1 September 2026, the FOEN is authorising kills in twelve wolf packs in Grisons, with the Calderas pack to be removed entirely. By the end of July, livestock kills had more than halved compared with the previous year, yet the quota is still being exhausted to the maximum: animals are no longer killed because damage has occurred, but before any damage could occur. Only three days earlier, the canton had celebrated the confirmation of three «new» packs which in fact merely recolonise the territories of packs previously wiped out. The same contradiction is evident across Switzerland: despite 226 wolves killed in three regulation periods, the number of packs has continued to rise, from 35 to 40. More kills, more packs, no effect in the sense claimed. More on this in the detailed article.

Background

• Val Fex: kill permit expired – open questions about enforcement practice
• Grisons hobby hunter convicted after wolf kill in the Puschlav
• Dossier: The wolf in Switzerland: facts, politics and the limits of hunting
• Dossier: Poaching and hunting crime in Switzerland