Imagine if the solution to preventing the next global pandemic was found on an ostrich farm in a secluded town in British Columbia, only to have the government order the destruction of all the birds.
This scenario captured national and international attention when Universal Ostrich Farms waged a 10-month legal battle and social media campaign against a government-ordered cull following an avian flu outbreak on their farm.
The situation of nearly 400 ostriches in Edgewood, a small town located 185 kilometers east of Kelowna, garnered widespread support from various groups, including anti-government protestors, animal rights activists, Canadian politicians, and even high-ranking officials in the Trump administration.
However, an investigation by fifth estate over several months uncovered that the campaign by Universal Ostrich Farms to save their ostriches was based on exaggerated and false claims regarding their birds, business operations, and scientific research.
Angela Rasmussen, an avian flu virologist at the University of Saskatchewan, reviewed the findings and dismissed the farm’s assertions of groundbreaking research as unfounded.
In late December 2024, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) identified a highly pathogenic H5N1 strain infecting ostriches on the farm. By mid-January, the farm reported 69 bird deaths due to the outbreak.
- Watch the complete documentary, “The Ostrich Con,” by the fifth estate on YouTube or CBC-TV on Friday at 9 p.m.
Similar to other countries like the U.S. and the UK, Canada follows a “stamping out policy” mandating the culling of poultry exposed to H5N1, regardless of symptoms. This approach has led to the culling of millions of birds in Canada and the U.S. to contain avian flu spread.
The CFIA can compensate farmers up to $3,000 per ostrich, but the process for Universal Ostrich Farms’ compensation is ongoing.
The farm owners, Karen Espersen and Dave Bilinski, valued their ostriches higher, claiming herd immunity and superior immune systems in the remaining birds. They contested the CFIA’s decision, leading to a legal battle that delayed the cull until November 6, 2025.
During the 10-month dispute, the farm asserted on social media and in court that they were conducting valuable scientific research. They claimed their company, Struthio Bioscience Inc., planned to utilize antibodies from ostrich eggs for various treatments, including obesity, baldness, cholera, and celiac disease.
Dave Bilinski, who imported ostriches to Canada from Zimbabwe over