Bobcat dies after being first wild mammal to test positive for avian flu in California

An adult bobcat died from the bird flu, making it the first wild mammal in California to test positive for the virus, wildlife officials said. The animal’s remains were tracked to Butte County in Northern California through its GPS collar when it stopped moving, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a Wednesday, Feb. 15, news release. Wildlife officers found its remains on Dec. 23, and samples were given to the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System for testing, the release said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed the Eurasian strain of the avian flu in the dead bobcat on Jan. 24. Its remains were found in an area where the virus had been identified in a turkey vulture. Read more