Bird flu kills over 13,000 baby seals on remote Australian islands: Study

Bird flu has killed over 13,000 seal pups on Australia's remote Antarctic islands, study published in journal BioRxiv revealed. Using data collected between October 2025 and January 2026, researchers estimated H5N1 strain wiped out over 75% population on Heard and McDonald Islands. Drone surveys by Australian Antarctic Program captured "sobering" images of carcasses scattered across islands.