Colorado Parks and Wildlife Removes Deceased Snow Geese at John Martin Reservoir - Tests for Avian Flu

Description: Colorado Parks and Wildlife removed eight deceased snow geese at John Martin Reservoir. Samples are being tested for HPAI. Visitors are urged to avoid dead wildlife and leash pets.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife Removes Deceased Snow Geese at John Martin Reservoir

Avian Flu Testing Underway

Bent County -- Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers at John Martin Reservoir State Park removed eight deceased snow geese from the south shore beach today. Swab samples from the birds are being sent to the Wildlife Health Lab in Fort Collins, Colo., for testing. Park officers assessed ~50,000 migrating snow geese in the park today.

Since 2022, migrating snow geese at the park have routinely tested positive for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, HPAI, a challenge the nation has faced since January 2022 in migrating flocks of wild birds. 

Park visitors are reminded not to approach, nor touch any dead wildlife they may encounter at the park and to always keep pets leashed. The situation poses no risk to fishing, nor consumption of fish from the reservoir. Additional resources for the public are available on the CPW website and on the Colorado Department of Agriculture website. 

Infected birds with HPAI appear lethargic on the ground, with some falling out of the sky or dying on arrival. Over the course of the ongoing migration, CPW procedures are to send swab samples from sick or deceased birds to our Wildlife Health Lab for testing. 

Once a specific species in the region has tested positive for the virus, it is assumed others of the same species have the virus. Snow geese have been migrating through the park for most of November. This is the first sample sent for testing this season from JMRSP. 

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