August 15, 2026 BY James Taylor

Fears grow as bird flu moves closer to Geelong – Geelong Times

The Swan Bay Environment Association is worried about how bird flu will affect the tens of thousands of black swans that gather seasonally in the bay. Photo: Georgina Steytler/Swan Bay Environment Association.

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WILDLIFE rescuers and environmental groups are bracing for the arrival of bird flu in the Geelong region, fearing potentially devastating losses among local bird populations.

The H5 strain has already reached Victoria, with the state’s first case detected in a greater crested tern at Portland on 28 July.

Of particular concern locally are the tens of thousands of black swans that gather seasonally at Swan Bay, with the species rated at very high risk from the virus.

Swan Bay Environment Association president Will Johnston said the prospect of an outbreak was deeply concerning.

“It’s an awful situation because there’s not much we can do,” he said.

The H5 strain has caused mass deaths among poultry, wild birds and marine mammals overseas.

It had never been detected in Australia until a case was confirmed in a skua in Western Australia in June this year. There is no evidence yet of the virus infecting other wildlife or poultry in Australia.

The federal government has since released national risk ratings for native birds and mammals, with black swans among those considered at very high risk of infection.

Johnston said the potential consequences for Swan Bay were difficult to contemplate.

“It’s hard to envisage but we could find ourselves in a situation where there are thousands of dead birds in Swan Bay,” he said.

“I haven’t come to terms with

that yet.

“I think their genetic makeup means black swans are not likely to have any ability to resist this at all.”

Sulphur-crested cockatoos and orange-bellied parrots, by comparison, are rated at low risk.

Johnston said an outbreak affecting well-known Australian species such as magpies would be especially confronting for the community.

“My hope in the end is this is a moment when governments sit up and pay attention to the fact

Australian wildlife is unique in the world and really precious, and we have a responsibility to protect it,” he said.

“My disappointment is with all levels of government that they haven’t taken this role seriously enough in recent times.”

Wildlife rescuers are also preparing for the difficult prospect of having to leave potentially infected animals untreated.

Australian health authorities advise people not to approach or touch sick or dead birds or other wildlife, but to record what they see and report it to the 24-hour Emergency Animal Disease Hotline.

Surf Coast Wildlife Rescue director Jason Cichocki said his volunteers had been told not to rescue animals suspected of having bird flu.

“It’s one of those things that under the circumstances, there’s not a lot we can do,” he said.

“If it’s got a broken wing or something obvious we will be taking that animal and treating it as usual, but if we’ve got animals that seem to have the bird flu then I can’t risk having any of my teams touching them.”

He said many of the group’s volunteers had wildlife shelters at home and could not risk carrying the virus back to animals in their care or their pets.

Bird flu does not easily infect people and the Australian Centre for Disease Control considers the risk to people in Australia low.

But Cichocki said even the small risk was enough to warrant caution.

“For now, it’s just a safety factor and yes, it is disappointing not to help, but it would be even more disappointing if one of my rescue team were the first of the humans in Australia to get the virus,” he said.

“They’re saying it’s a really slim chance, but it is a chance, and I can’t take that chance.”