Almost 30 dead birds found along Bayou St. John in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Residents living near Bayou St. John and City Park are concerned after finding dozens of dead birds in the area.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries confirms avian flu is in the area.

Brooke Brown lives near Bayou St. John, and in the last few weeks, she discovered dozens of dead birds along the bayou.

“I started picking up the birds. I started with a couple of geese and worked my way up the bayou. By the time I was done I had 26 birds,” Brown said.

She says she didn’t want to just leave them along the bayou, but she wonders why they are not being handled.

“There isn’t a system from the city in place to euthanize or deal with these bodies,” she said.

The birds are a health concern for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. They report that one dead goose from Bayou St. John tested positive for avian flu. Recently, there have been 150 reported cases around the state.

“I think people may not know avian flu is going around,” she said.

In regard to picking up the birds, State Wildlife Veterinarian James LaCour said in a statement to WGNO News:

“Authority/responsibility pertinent to picking up carcasses is variable. Cases in the wild involving wild waterfowl do fall under LDWF’s purview. Disposition of carcasses varies by location, extent of mortality event, and causative disease. Municipal areas with domesticated waterfowl, including all birds being artificially fed, are a different situation and usually that responsibility falls upon the municipality. Obviously, there are gray areas in this answer with some situations having overlapping authorities. Overall, the HPAI mortality event across the state is winding down. When the majority of migratory waterfowl leave the state in February/March very few cases will be observed after that.”

Regarding the dead birds, Keith Claverie with City Park City Park Conservancy said, “City Park Conservancy protocol calls for the prompt removal of animal remains from Park grounds once reported. The CPC sanitation team handles as they would any other hazardous situation properly fitted with the appropriate safety and biohazard gear.”

Still, it is not the residents’ responsibility.

“That’s not my job. None of this is my job. I need people in the city to pick up these and help me. I felt obligated to clean up the dead bodies in my neighborhood. I don’t want to see kids getting into them. I don’t want to see dogs getting into them. It is not ok,” Brown said.

Authorities say avian flu poses a slight risk to humans. If you must handle the dead birds, make sure to wear rubber gloves and a mask.

Latest Posts