Avian Flu is a UK-wide issue currently and we all need to remain vigilant. Recent outbreaks have been recorded as close as Kings Lynn, Norfolk so not too far away from us here in Peterborough. Nene Park is also classed as a Higher Risk Area (HRA) as we are an area where wild birds (and in particular gulls and wild waterfowl) gather. 

Please take the time to read the following Government guidance so you know what to do if you come across a dead wild bird in the Park: 

Do not touch or pick up any dead or visibly sick birds that you find.

You should call the Defra helpline (03459 33 55 77) if you find:

• one or more dead bird of prey or owl
• 3 or more dead gulls or wild waterfowl (swans, geese and ducks)
• 5 or more dead birds of any species

Defra will then collect some of these birds and test them to help us understand how the disease is distributed geographically and in different types of bird.

Calls to the Defra helpline about dead wild birds are triaged and not all birds will be collected. The criteria for which birds are collected are adjusted to increase or decrease the sensitivity of surveillance.

Wild birds are susceptible to a range of diseases and injuries and not all dead birds will have been infected with avian influenza.