The ostrich con: Arguments to save birds from cull in B.C. were based on falsehoods, evidence shows Farm owners claim unique ostrich antibodies could cure bird flu, obesity, hair loss The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says the 10-month saga, which ended when about 300 ostriches were culled last November, cost taxpayers nearly $7 million, including security and legal fees, making this the most costly animal cull in Canadian history. Still, virologist Rasmussen says the delay in the cull is what concerns her the most, as it raised the potential for the virus to spread and mutate in a way that could make it more susceptible to humans. In February 2025, a poultry worker in Ohio was hospitalized with the same unique strain of the virus found on the Edgewood farm. The source of that infection remains unknown. "Could it become a pandemic virus? We don't know," said Rasmussen. "But the only way to find out is to have that happen. And so we don't actually want to find out because that r...