As a precaution, local poultry has been culled due to a bird flu outbreak in Israel that has killed more than 5,000 migratory cranes. Authorities have closed uninhabited areas in a popular nature reserve and warned of possible egg shortages.
Rangers in hazardous material suits gathered crane carcasses from the northern Hula Nature Reserve and adjacent outlying marshes as Environment Minister Tamar Zandberg tweeted it was the worst blow to wildlife in the country’s history.
Her statement stated that tens of thousands of chickens had been killed.
The Israeli media reported that children visiting the reserve could have been exposed to the flu by touching the stricken crane. A cull will prevent an egg shortage, according to reports. The government is looking for foreign eggs to prevent the shortage.
