Nature in Moray: Bird flu appeal to forest visitors
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Folk are being asked to keep themselves and their pets away from dead birds as they might have been killed by avian flu.
The appeal from Forestry and Land Scotland comes in response to an increasing number of reports of dead birds across Scotland.
Cases of bird flu have been found in Moray as well as in the Highlands, Fife, Stirling, Perth and Kinross, the Shetland Islands, Aberdeenshire, Orkney and the Western Isles.
Kenny Kortland, an ecologist with FLS, said: "We have already found a number of dead seabirds at Tentsmuir forest that are suspected avian flu cases.
"We expect it will not be the only visitor destination we look after where this will occur.
"It is very important that people do not touch dead or dying birds, and that they keep their dogs away from them as well.
"Avian flu is extremely contagious amongst birds.
"While transmission to humans is very rare, it's important we all do what we can to prevent assisting the spread of the disease."
Anyone finding dead birds which might have succumbed to avian flu is asked to immediately notify the Animal and Plant Health Agency, which has branches in both Inverness and Inverurie.
