Antarctic Bird Flu Kills Thousands of Seals and Penguins

Between October 2025 and January 2026 the Australian Antarctic Program documented a massive outbreak of the H5N1 bird‑flu virus on the sub‑Antarctic Heard and McDonald Islands. Drone surveys revealed the deaths of about 13,000 seal pups—roughly 76 % of the local population—and hundreds of king penguins, with mortality rates in some colonies reaching 97 %.

Scientists say the virus likely arrived via migratory wildlife from the Crozet Islands in August 2025. Researchers Jarrod Hodgson and Julie McInnes noted this is the first recorded occurrence of bird flu in such remote Antarctic habitats, and that no mainland cases have been reported in Australia or New Zealand as of February 2026.