Hugo’s Small Animal Rescue and Sanctuary speaks out on latest bird flu restrictions

The owner of Hugo's Small Animal Rescue and Sanctuary, located at Ridge way Farm, Peel Road Ridgeway Farm Peel Road, Blackpool, has announced he will not be taking in any wild birds with the current Avian influenza (bird flu) restrictions in place.

Bailey Lister, 21, who founded the charity organisation when he was only 15, said that it was not a decision taken likely but the health and safety of staff and other animals was paramount.

Posting on the sanctuary’s social media feed he said: “This is not a decision we’ve taken lightly but due to the current Bird flu restrictions, we will not be taking any wild birds!

“We just cannot risk having a case of Bird flu on site if we do DEFRA will demand all our birds have to be culled even healthy Birds so it’s not a risk we are not willing to take.

“Thank you for understanding.”

Readers were quick to offer messages of support saying he ‘was doing the right thing’.

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What is bird flu and where did it originate from?

Bird flu, also known as avian influenza, is a contagious viral infection that affects birds and sometimes humans. It's caused by the influenza A virus, which is found naturally in wild birds.

It was first identified in 1878 by Edoardo Perroncito and it is found in bird populations worldwide, especially in wild aquatic birds like ducks, geese, and gulls.

Some strains of bird flu have spread to domestic poultry, including chickens, ducks, and turkeys.

What are the restrictions and when do they come into effect?

An order which requires poultry and captive birds to be kept indoors to prevent the spread of bird flu has been extended to further parts of the Midlands and northern England.

The order, which also includes pet birds and commercial flocks, has been expanded to cover Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Cheshire, Merseyside and Lancashire.

It comes into force in the region from midnight on 16 February and applied to all bird keepers, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said.