UPDATE: Cape Avian Influenza outbreak
An outbreak of Avian Influenza amongst wild seabirds in the Western Cape appears to be coming under control as the numbers of dead birds are declining rapidly.
The Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Anton Bredell, says the outbreak remains ongoing and all efforts to manage the situation continues, but the data is much more positive at the moment.
“Over the past few days the teams have been seeing on average 400 dead birds per day. This has come down from roughly 700 at the start of this outbreak. It’s still not great but we are grateful for any improvement.”
Bredell says managing an Avian Influenza outbreak amongst wild seabirds is very difficult and only possible thanks to the efforts of multiple stakeholders.
“The worst affected area at the moment continues to be Dyer island, a bird breeding colony in the Overberg region but the numbers are also dropping there. At the moment it is about 250 dead birds per day, down from 500. The Cape Cormorant species remains the most affected by the outbreak.”
The Disaster Management Centre urges the public to continue to be vigilant and report unusual mortalities in any birds to their local municipality, conservation authority or state veterinarian. The SPCA and NSPCA may also be contacted. Contact details for state veterinarians are available at https://www.elsenburg.com/services-and-programmes/veterinary-services-0#s=Animal-Health-and-Disease-Control
Related News
Water Week: Protecting Our Most Precious Resource
Water is fundamental to life and essential to our daily wellbeing. While this may seem widely understood, it remains important to continually remind ourselves of the value of this finite resource. Although approximately 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, only about 2.5% of it is freshwater available to sustain ecosystems and human needs.
Western Cape adds over 81 000 hectares of new nature reserves in the past year
The Western Cape has added over 20 new nature reserves to its Protected Area network, securing more than 81 715 hectares of ecologically significant land for long-term conservation. Declared between April 2025 and March 2026, these new reserves strengthen the province’s efforts to protect important landscapes, species, and vegetation types.
Exploring the hidden world of fynbos frogs
A recent grant from the Herpetological Association of Africa enabled the investigation of the taxonomically confusing species of Ghost Frogs. Ghost Frogs (Family Heleophrynidae) are an endemic family of frogs that diverged from all other frogs 100 million years ago. These specialised frogs typically inhabit fast-flowing headwater habitats.
Where water flows, equality grows on World Water Day 2026
In recent months, communities across the Western Cape have been confronted with increasing water shortages and climate related disruptions. Communities reliant on smaller reservoirs and surface water systems, demonstrate the region’s vulnerability to low rainfall, the impact of alien invasive trees in removing water from natural systems, ageing water infrastructure and rising consumption.
Environmental education gets a boost through CapeNature’s museum training
CapeNature has partnered with the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS): Museum Services to expand environmental education across the Western Cape. During February 2026, CapeNature’s Learning and Awareness team trained 18 museum staff members from DCAS affiliated institutions to deliver activity-based programmes focused on water conservation
Western Cape marks World Wildlife Day as CapeNature highlights climate resilience and sustainable living
The Western Cape is marking World Wildlife Day on 3 March, a day proclaimed by the United Nations, by reaffirming its commitment to biodiversity protection, climate resilience and sustainable development, with CapeNature playing a central role in conserving the province’s natural heritage.