Bird flu in pheasants in England sparks concern over lax rearing rules

Campaigners call for tightening of measures around ‘wild’ pheasants which are not subject to rules to help control bird flu

The most serious outbreak of bird flu this year has been found in a group of pheasants in England, sparking criticism of the loose restrictions around their rearing.

Twenty of the non-native birds were found by the Animal and Plant Health Authority (Apha) to have been infected with the disease, which is decimating bird populations across the UK, in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire. All other reports from Apha show no more than five birds have been affected at any one location since January 2024.