‘Professional marksmen’ kill flu-exposed ostrich herd in Canada, ending legal saga that attracted RFK Jr.’s attention

Dave Bilinski, the co-owner of Universal Ostrich Farms, participates in a group prayer in Edgewood, British Columbia on Thursday. Aaron Hemens /The Canadian Press/AP

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said Friday that it used “professional marksmen” to kill a flu-exposed ostrich herd in British Columbia , bringing to an end a nearly year-long legal saga that had attracted attention from conservatives in the United States, including US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

“As part of its disease response policy, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has culled the ostrich population on a farm in Edgewood, British Columbia,” the CFIA said in a statement Friday.

The farm in question, Universal Ostrich Farms, will remain under quarantine.

“After consulting with experts experie