Canada pauses cull of ostrich flock that had cases of avian flu amid U.S. push to save them

By Anna Mehler Paperny

TORONTO (Reuters) -A flock of Canadian ostriches set to be culled after two dead birds tested positive for avian flu has been granted a last-minute stay of execution from Canada’s highest court – for now.

Canada’s Supreme Court issued an order Wednesday granting an “interim-interim stay” of a culling order made on December 31.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency late last year ordered about 400 ostriches to be killed. Since then the Universal Ostrich Farms in Edgewood, British Columbia, has fought the order. They lost multiple lower court rulings but won some powerful supporters in the U.S. who have launched a campaign to stop the cull.

In their motion for a stay co-owners Karen Espersen and Dave Bilinski included an affidavit from a University of British Columbi