Alarm As Bird Flu Kills Half Of Elephant Seals In South Atlantic

"Study estimates 53,000 females have died on South Georgia since 2023, with ‘dramatic impact’ on future of the species"

"Bird flu has wiped out half of South Georgia’s breeding elephant seals, according to a study that warns of “serious implications” for the future of the species.

The remote island in the South Atlantic Ocean is home to the world’s largest southern elephant seal population. Researchers estimate 53,000 females died after bird flu hit in 2023.

The population has now plummeted by 47%, researchers found. “It was quite a stark number,” said the lead author, Connor Bamford from the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge. “I didn’t anticipate it to be this high.”"

Phoebe Weston reports for the Guardian November 13, 2025.