Bird flu outbreak causing devastation on Farne Islands, National Trust warns

An outbreak of avian influenza, otherwise known as bird flu, is having a devastating effect on one of the UK’s best-known and important seabird colonies in the Farne Islands.

The situation has been branded an “unprecedented wildlife tragedy”, with rangers working off the Northumberland coast having so far collected well over 3,000 dead birds for incineration.

It’s feared many thousands more have succumbed to the deadly disease and fallen off the cliffs into the North Sea.

For their own safety, rangers dealing with the bird cleanup wear white hazmat suits, gloves and masks.

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