EDGEWOOD, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA — A wall of hay bales used to corral a flock of ostriches in British Columbia in advance of an ordered cull has been charred by fire and parts of it are still smouldering.
Workers could be seen spraying the blackened areas with water as smoke billowed from the three-metre-high enclosure.
The co-owner of Universal Ostrich Farm, Dave Bilinski, says they would never start a fire nor condone it, and the farm has its own fire system because of concerns of peat or grass fires on the property.
Ostriches are visible behind the burned wall, grazing and moving around, while several RCMP vehicles are stationed in front of the enclosure.
The wall was built Tuesday as the Canadian Food Inspection Agency began preparations to destroy about 400 birds after an outbreak of the avian flu was detected in some of the animals last December.
Tractor trailer trucks moved in with the hay shortly after the arrests of Karen Espersen, who is a co-owner of the farm, and her daughter, Katie Pasitney, when they refused to leave the ostrich pen on Tuesday.
Officials have not said when the cull will start, and it’s unclear if the fire will delay those plans.
The farm has generated a large following on social media, with supporters worldwide, and they have gathered at the site itself near Edgewood in southeastern B.C., to support the owners in preventing the destruction of the herd.
Universal Ostrich Farms has lost in court several times to try to stop the cull, arguing the birds are now healthy and scientifically valuable, but the Federal Court and the Federal Court of Appeal have rejected those attempts.
Pasitney said on Monday that their lawyer was filing the paperwork to have their case heard in the Supreme Court of Canada.
The B.C. chapter of the SPCA, meanwhile, issued a statement Tuesday saying the CFIA is the decision-making authority for disease control, including the case involving the farm.
The SPCA does not have the power to intervene or influence decisions in cases involving the avian flu, the group says.
When an animal is suffering from an illness that cannot be treated or poses a serious public health concern, “euthanasia may be an appropriate action,” the statement says.
“In these situations, the BC SPCA believes the methods used to euthanize any animal must be humane and ensure that fear, pain and anxiety are kept to minimal levels prior to and during killing.”
The society “recognizes the negative impact of euthanasia … on the animals, farmers, and the community,” it adds.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2025.
Brenna Owen, The Canadian Press
