A recent study found that 47 percent of breeding female elephant seals on South Georgia, home to the world’s largest population of the marine mammal, have died in two years. H5N1 avian flu is responsible for most of this catastrophe, and has now been found among the elephant seals of Heard Island, previously another stronghold of the species. The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.

Earlier this month a paper reported that H5N1 , which the authors call highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIV), caused the population of breeding females in South Georgia’s three largest colonies to decline by 47 percent.

Observations made in 2022, before the virus reached the South Atlantic, were compared with those from 2024. Although

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