Bulletins

This year, Canada has seen outbreaks of a highly infectious strain of avian influenza, a naturally occurring virus that affects wild and domestic birds. Recently there have been confirmed cases of the virus in Rouge National Urban Park.

While it remains safe to visit the park, Parks Canada asks visitors to take the following precautions:

When visiting Rouge National Urban Park

• Never approach or handle wildlife in the park, including sick, injured or dead birds and animals.
• Never allow your pet to approach wildlife, including sick, injured or dead birds and animals.
• If you see sick, injured or deceased wildlife in Rouge National Urban Park, call Parks Canada Dispatch at 1-877-852-3100 or let a staff member know.
• Never feed wild birds from your hand or try to lure birds with food or seeds.
• Clean all clothing and footwear before coming to the park.
• Clean/disinfect footwear before leaving the park, particularly if you raise fowl or have pet birds at home.

While at home or outside the park

• Regularly clean indoor and outdoor bird houses, bird feeders and bird baths using a weak solution of domestic bleach (10% sodium hypochlorite), and ensure they are well rinsed and dried before re-use.
• Remove bird feeders from areas that are open to poultry and other domestic animals.
• Limit any travel to farms which house fowl (chickens, turkeys, ducks, etc.).
• If you encounter sick or dead wildlife outside the park, call your local animal control to report the incident.
• Alternatively, you can contact the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative at 866-673-4781 or report online at https://cwhc.wildlifesubmissions.org.

Diseases such as avian influenza are naturally occurring in wildlife populations and past outbreaks eventually declined as populations of wild birds build immunity. Parks Canada will continue to follow all health precautions and work with Environment and Climate Change Canada, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to monitor the situation.

• For information about Avian Influenza in wild birds, please consult Environment and Climate Change Canada - Avian influenza in wild birds - Canada.ca.
• For more information about Avian Influenza in backyard flocks, please consult the Canadian Food Inspection Agency - Avian influenza (bird flu) - Canadian Food Inspection Agency (canada.ca).