It has been uncovered through a recent report that all ostriches residing in the southern Cape are being killed voluntarily in order to prevent a high present epidemic of avian flu in the region.

As per the report, the act is being undertaken despite huge insistence by an industry, which is largely being pressurized for the flu spread that it has resolved the issue of the H5N2 disease in the Western Cape.

Though, the industry has been claiming that the export status would soon be re-established as well as the EU export ban would also be raised back. Due to the plaguing in the industry from last April, some 8,000 ostriches are being murdered.

Also, their movement from the Breede to the Great Brak River has been banned because of infections found among them two weeks back. It has been found that some on a farm close to Albertinia along with some others near Heidelberg had got highly infected with the flu.

And as per the government, it is a “stamping out policy” to kill other ostriches around the infected ones so as to avert the spread.

“We are discussing other measures because it is difficult to see how the stamping out policy will solve the problem”, said the SA Ostrich Business Chamber’s interim CEO Piet Kleyn.