A year after Canada culled more than 300 ostriches on a British Columbia farm over bird flu

Ostriches are flightless birds, but a question that has now resurfaced is: where did they fly off to? As reported by CBC News, in British Columbia, Canada, a dispute that began with an outbreak of bird flu on an ostrich farm has now found its way into another courtroom, almost a year after hundreds of the birds were killed under a government order.

The owners of the farm are now suing Canadian authorities, alleging that 37 ostriches have gone unaccounted for and that approximately 1,200 eggs seized during the operation were never returned or compensated for.The eggs, according to the owners, were also central to a planned scientific and commercial venture involving the development of dietary supplements, a business they say could have generated millions in revenue. The new lawsuit has consequently reopened questions about what happened at the farm, the handling of the birds and the consequences of the decision to cull them.

The farm, Universal Ostrich Farms, is located in Edgewood, British Columbia, and is owned by Karen Espersen and Dave Bilinski.