Bird flu kills dozens of elephant seal pups at California state park

The Guardian - World NewsEN 3 min read 100% complete by Coral Murphy MarcosFebruary 26, 2026 at 11:19 PM

AI Summary

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A bird flu outbreak has killed approximately 30 elephant seal pups at Año Nuevo State Park in California, prompting the temporary closure of seal-viewing areas. Researchers from UC Davis and UC Santa Cruz detected the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI H5N1) last week, marking the first cases in California marine mammals. The outbreak is being closely monitored, as a similar strain caused high mortality in Argentina seal pups last year. Researchers are working to understand how the seals contracted the virus and whether it will spread further. Año Nuevo's elephant seal colony is one of the most intensively studied in the world, allowing researchers to track the outbreak's effects on individual seals and gain insights into disease ecology.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Argentina 60% UC Davis 70% UC Santa Cruz ×270% Bird Flu 75% Roxanne Beltran ×380% HPAI H5N1 85% Año Nuevo State Park ×490% California ×395%

Keywords

bird flu 100% elephant seal pups 90% avian influenza 80% hpai h5n1 70% año nuevo state park 60% marine mammals 60% disease ecology 50% mortality rate 40% seal colony 40%