Thousands of baby seals died on two remote sub-Antarctic islands. Scientists now think they know why | CNN

A deadly strain of bird flu sweeping through remote islands near Antarctica has devastated the native wildlife population, killing an estimated 13,000 seal pups, as well as penguins and seabirds, researchers say. Drone surveys conducted by the Australian Antarctic Program in October and January revealed “sobering” images of seal pup carcasses littering the grayish volcanic shores of Heard and McDonald Islands, Jarrod Hodgson, a senior research scientist at the organization said. The islands, which sit about 2,485 miles (4,000 kilometers) southwest of mainland Australia have long been an isolated sanctuary for breeding birds and marine mammals. The southern elephant seal pup mortality was estimated to be 76% across a population of 17,000 seal pups born on the islands, the program said. One area had a concentrated death rate of 97%. “The thing we don’t know from our surveys so far is what the impact was on the breeding adult population of southern elephant seals,” Hodgson said. Data collected in January also revealed several hundred adult king penguins across Heard Island have died, with scientists noting mortality was above normal levels. “These observations of H5 bird f