More than 60 wetland and shore birds, many of them endangered species, have died at Maui's Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge due to an outbreak of avian botulism. The disease, which does not affect humans, is caused by a bacteria that produces a toxin in certain conditions, including stagnant water, warm temperatures and decaying vegetation. We're nursing 10 birds right now with the help of state veterinarian Dr. Greg Massey. We'll continue to make our rounds until we're sure the outbreak is over. Hawaiian coots, Hawaiian stilts, and koloa are all endangered species.
Botulism paralyzes the voluntary muscles in birds, leading to drowning or asphyxiation.
Soon, waterfowl such as Northern shovelers and pintails will be arriving after flying up to 2,400 miles across the ocean. We certainly don't want to attract them into Kealia Pond while the botulism is present, so we're keeping the pumps running in the smaller aquaculture ponds where better circulation keeps toxin levels down and turning off the pumps that deliver water to the main pond, where the majority of the dead birds have been found. This is the first major outbreak of avian botulism at Kealia Pond since the refuge was established in 1992. Hawaii's visitors and convention bureau starts your expedition. I stumbled onto a site called Volcano World.