Dozens of swans and geese found dead at Cannon Hill Park from suspected bird flu

Dozens of swans and geese have died at Birmingham's Cannon Hill Park from suspected bird flu. 

RSPCA staff tended to the dying birds before taking them away. The City Council and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is investigating the deaths. 

It comes after claims up to 80 birds had been "dying for weeks." One eyewitness said that it "had been going on for weeks, way before Christmas."

All bird keepers must make sure their animals, including ducks, turkeys and chickens, are kept indoors from today following a rapid rise in bird flu cases.

This new policy follows a number of outbreaks across the region including Derbyshire, Leicestershire and the Black Country.

On January 6, a person has contracted bird flu in a UK first. Although seen elsewhere in the world, the strain of the bird flu identified in the South West of England has never before been confirmed in a human in the UK.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has stressed the risk to the wider public continues to be very low - but warned people not to touch sick or dead birds.

A Birmingham City Council spokesperson urged people who spotted a dead bird to contact a park ranger.

The spokesperson said: "We are currently working with partner organisations to investigate bird deaths at Cannon Hill Park.

"Regardless of the confirmed cause, we would urge anyone who spots any dead birds to contact a park ranger or the likes of the RSPB so the situation can be dealt with and investigated appropriately.".

A spokeswoman for DEFRA said: "We are aware of a number of wild bird deaths reported from several locations in England.

"These deaths are currently under investigation as part of the Animal and Plant Health Agency's (APHA) on-going wild bird surveillance programme.

"We publish a report (updated regularly) on findings of highly pathogenic avian influenza (bird flu) in wild birds in Great Britain.

"Dead wild waterfowl (swans, geese or ducks) or other dead wild birds, such as gulls or birds of prey, should be reported to the Defra helpline (03459 335577)."

Members of the public are being reminded to not to pick up any dead or visibly sick birds.

"APHA will then arrange collection of some of these birds and test them to help us understand how the disease is distributed geographically and in different types of bird, not all birds will be collected.