Wildlife

New Zealand - Avian Disease Outbreak on Kapiti Coast

More than 40 birds have died on the Kapiti Coast after a suspected outbreak of a paralysing disease. A number of duck species and one shag have been found dead, many near lagoons at Awatea Avenue and Waterstone Estate in Paraparaumu, says the Kapiti Coast District Council.

The SPCA believes the birds may have died of avian botulism, which causes paralysis in birds. The birds are being tested to establish how they died, but the council says there have been outbreaks of the disease in other parts of the country.

Although the disease is unlikely to pose a threat to humans, the council's urging dog and cat owners not to allow their pets to eat the carcasses as other animals could catch the disease.