South Australia has confirmed the first recorded death of an endangered Australian sea lion caused by H5 bird flu, officials announced Sunday. The sea lion was found deceased at Seal Bay on Kangaroo Island, which is home to the third-largest colony of the species.

The Australian sea lion is classified as endangered, with recent population estimates ranging from fewer than 10,000 to about 12,000 individuals. Approximately 85% of the population resides in South Australian waters, with the remainder found in Western Australia. The species is recognized as the rarest seal native to Australian coastal regions.

South Australia’s Environment Minister Emily Bourke stated that the affected sea lion had been injured in a shark attack three months prior and had been under observation since that time. While initially thought to have succumbed to the shark wounds, subsequent testing revealed a strong positive for H5 bird flu, which officials identified as the actual cause of death. The minister noted that the sea lion’s weakened condition while recovering from the shark injuries may have increased its susceptibility to the virus.

Authorities emphasized that no other known fatalities of endangered sea lions from bird flu have been recorded at Seal Bay to date, but the population is under close surveillance amid concerns about potential impacts on the already small group.

Minister Bourke also commented on the lack of an available vaccine for mammals against bird flu in Australia. While vaccines have been employed in cattle in the United States and trialed experimentally with some success on monk seals in Hawaii, such options are not readily accessible for sea lions at this time.

The discovery raises broader concerns as bird flu continues to affect various mammal species, and the vulnerability of endangered wildlife to emerging diseases remains a focus for conservation and health authorities in the region.