A chilling document from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency details the methods for culling ostriches, revealing a spectrum of procedures ranging from lethal injection to the brutal act of breaking their necks. The manual, a stark glimpse into a potential reality for a British Columbia ostrich farm, outlines techniques for ending the lives of these massive birds.
The agency has remained tight-lipped about its specific plans for a possible cull at Universal Ostrich Farms, but the 2016 internal manual paints a disturbing picture. One method involves a three-person team: one to sit on the ostrich’s back for control, another to restrain the head, and a third to administer a fatal injection directly into the brain.
While described as “quick and minimally stressful” for the animal, the intracranial injection is acknowledged as potentially devastating for the owners to witness. The manual also details alternative injection sites – the jugular or wing vein – promising effect within seconds, but stresses the need for sedation first.
Ostriches, particularly males during mating season, are explicitly labeled as “extremely dangerous.” The manual advises luring the birds with food, then swiftly restraining them with a hood – a cut-off sweatshirt sleeve is suggested – before administering sedatives and ultimately, the lethal dose.
Beyond injection, the document explores other methods, including gassing with carbon dioxide, though it concedes this is a “slower and more stressful” approach. Gunshots are relegated to a “last resort,” and the manual even outlines the possibility of cervical dislocation – breaking the neck – for larger birds like emus and ostriches.
However, the manual cautions that breaking a bird’s neck is “physically demanding” and requires “sufficient training and physical strength” to ensure a swift end. This chilling detail underscores the sheer power and size of these animals, and the difficult task facing anyone ordered to carry out such a procedure.
The fate of over 300 ostriches at Universal Ostrich Farms hangs in the balance, awaiting a decision from the Supreme Court of Canada. The court will determine whether to hear a final appeal against the cull, ordered last December following an avian flu outbreak.
If the court declines to hear the appeal, the legal roadblocks will vanish, and the CFIA will be free to proceed with the cull. Supporters of the farm have established a protest camp, desperately trying to prevent the devastating loss of the flock.
The farm has garnered unexpected support from high-profile figures, including U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has urged the CFIA to reconsider, and Dr. Mehmet Oz, who offered his Florida ranch as a potential sanctuary for the birds. Their involvement highlights the growing concern surrounding the agency’s decision.
The existence of this detailed manual, unearthed through an access-to-information request, remained hidden within government records until recently. It serves as a stark reminder of the procedures considered, and the difficult choices facing both the agency and the owners of Universal Ostrich Farms.
