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More than $1 million in elephant ivory advertised online in Australia
Developing
In Short: Australian scientists confirmed a deadly strain of bird flu has killed over 13,000 elephant seal pups on sub-Antarctic islands, marking the first such outbreak in an external territory.
SYDNEY – A deadly strain of bird flu has killed more than 13,000 elephant seal pups on a sub-Antarctic volcanic island, according to Australian scientists. The H5 bird flu strain, which has never been detected in one of Australia’s external territories before, was confirmed through genetic testing to have affected seals, penguins, and other birds living on the rocky outcrop.
Southern elephant seal pups were particularly hard hit, with mortality rates in some harems reaching as high as 97 percent, according to the Australian Antarctic Programme. The outbreak was first noticed in October 2025 and was confirmed through ground and aerial surveys conducted in January 2026.
Access to the islands is strictly controlled, with permission required from the Australian government. Lying 4,000km south-west of mainland Australia, the islands are described as fearsomely wild, making the spread of the virus particularly concerning.
Background
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands. It has a land area of 7,688,287 km2 (2,968,464 sq mi), making it the sixth-largest country in the world, and is the world's flattest and driest inhabited continent.
What's confirmed
What's still developing
- Single-source account; further confirmation still arriving.