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A dead dolphin in South Australia has tested positive for H5N1, marking the second native mammal species known to have contracted the virus. Photograph: Dave Irving/Getty Images     (dolphin-dies-from-h5-bird-flu-in-sa-as-researchers-withdrawn-from-sub-antarctic-island-over-psychosocial-risk.html#img-1)   View image in fullscreen       Pictured: A common dolphin. A dead dolphin in South Australia has tested positive for H5N1, marking the second native mammal species known to have contracted the virus. Photograph: Dave Irving/Getty Images       (https://www.theguardian.com/world/bird-flu) Bird flu     Dolphin dies from H5 bird flu in SA as researchers withdrawn from sub-Antarctic island over ‘psychosocial risk’   Expeditioners at research station on Macquarie Island will be evacuated over possible ‘psychological stress’, while 100 dead little penguins found on Tasmanian island Get our (https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl) breaking news email , (https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3) free app or (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl) daily news podcast            (https://www.theguardian.com/profile/lisa-cox) Lisa Cox Environment and climate correspondent   Fri 28 Aug 2026 03.39 EDT  First published on Fri 28 Aug 2026 01.40 EDT   (mailto:?subject=Dolphin dies from H5 bird flu in SA as researchers withdrawn from sub-Antarctic island over ‘psychosocial risk’&body=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/aug/28/dolphin-dies-from-h5-bird-flu-in-sa-as-researchers-withdrawn-from-sub-antarctic-island-over-psychosocial-risk?CMP=share_btn_url) Share          (https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=theguardian.com) Prefer the Guardian on Google          A dolphin has died from H5 bird flu in (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/south-australia) South Australia , marking the second native mammal species known to have contracted the virus. On Friday afternoon, the Tasmanian government said it was assessing the discovery of about 100 dead little penguins on King Island but it was unable to test them for H5 bird flu due to their “decayed condition”.  It comes as the federal government announced it would withdraw researchers from the sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island research station due to the “psychosocial risk” of witnessing potential mass seal deaths from H5N1 during the upcoming seal breeding season. The common dolphin was found recently deceased near Goolwa on South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula. State tests confirmed the animal was positive for H5N1, with samples sent to the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness for further analysis. (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/aug/24/little-penguins-bird-flu-vaccination-phillip-island-australia)  How do you vaccinate 1,000 tiny penguins against bird flu in the wild? It’s ‘really tricky’ but there is a way     Read more        It follows two earlier detections in (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/23/fur-seal-death-first-australian-mainland-mammal-h5-bird-flu) long-nosed fur seals in SA at Beachport and the Pages Islands and a case in a red fox – a feral pest species – near Port Adelaide. The federal government’s risk assessment rated common dolphins at high risk from bird flu, meaning they potentially face severe population declines where the virus takes hold. “While the detection in the common dolphin is a new development in Australia, there is evidence of dolphins and porpoises catching H5 bird flu overseas,” a spokesperson for SA’s Department of Primary Industries and Regions said. (https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=copyembed&CMP=emailbutton) Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email   “Dolphins would not commonly eat birds but it is not unusual for them to sometimes interact.” In Tasmania, the state government said about 100 dead little penguins were found at Stokes Point, the southern tip of King Island, during wildlife monitoring activities. The government has labelled the deaths a mass mortality event but said the cause had not been established. The natural resources and environment department said the birds were not considered suitable for H5 bird flu testing due to their decayed condition. Brendon Clark, north-west regional manager for the state’s parks and wildlife service, said authorities were working to “assess the circumstances surrounding the discovery and determine whether any further management actions are required”. “Any loss of wildlife is concerning, and we recognise this discovery will be upsetting for residents, visitors and others who care deeply about Tasmania’s unique wildlife. “While assessments of the site have identified injuries on many of the birds, it is not possible to definitively determine the cause of death from the information currently available.” He said monitoring of the site would continue. The federal government said on Friday it would withdraw 24 expeditioners based at the research station on Macquarie Island in the Southern Ocean about 1,500km south-east of Tasmania. While bird flu had not yet been detected on the island, it was home to large elephant seal populations close to station buildings. Expert assessments had predicted “a high likelihood of a significant mortality event during the upcoming breeding season”. “While the risk to humans remains low, a significant mortality event during the upcoming seal breeding season could expose expeditioners to prolonged psychological stress and other workplace impacts,” the department said. The department’s deputy secretary, Sean Sullivan, said: “This is an unusual measure, but is the most appropriate course of action, based on our assessments of risk, and operational realities. (dolphin-dies-from-h5-bird-flu-in-sa-as-researchers-withdrawn-from-sub-antarctic-island-over-psychosocial-risk.html#EmailSignup-skip-link-20) skip past newsletter promotion    Free newsletter | When needed Sign up to Breaking News Australia  Get the most important news as it breaks  ()   Enter your email  ()   Sign up      after newsletter promotion          (Thousands of little penguins being vaccinated against H5 bird flu in Victoria – video)                 Thousands of little penguins being vaccinated against H5 bird flu in Victoria – video     “Our first priority is the health and safety of our expeditioners. While the risk to humans of H5 bird flu is considered low, we can’t ignore the psychosocial risks of living near potentially large numbers of affected animals.” Sullivan said the researchers lived and worked in one of the world’s most remote and challenging environments. “We’ve seen what this disease can do, based on our experience at Heard Island and McDonald Islands.” Drone surveys detected (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jun/18/more-than-13000-seal-pups-die-on-remote-australian-island-amid-bird-flu-outbreak) more than 13,000 dead southern elephant seal pups on Australia’s Heard Island in 2025 and 2026. Sullivan said the decision had been made to minimise the risks to researchers and “across the whole Antarctic program” in advance of any mass mortality event. He said Macquarie Island was unique in that thousands of elephant seal pups were born close to the station every spring.  (Svelte atom template)    “No other Australian Antarctic station is in this position, and there are no elephant seal colonies on mainland Australia,” he said. Sullivan said the government was exploring options for monitoring the situation on Macquarie Island, with a view to “returning expeditioners to the station in coming seasons”. The SA government said on Friday it would move to confirming H5 bird flu cases in the state through local laboratories. Until now, state-based test results have required verification by the CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness in Geelong. The state government said improvements to its testing processes meant confirmation of H5N1 cases could now be done locally. The New South Wales government also announced its plans to vaccinate wild populations of little penguins at Manly and Barunguba Montague Island. The government also said “trial cohorts” of some captive bird populations, including little penguins, Carnaby’s black cockatoos and red-tailed black cockatoos, had received the first vaccinations at Taronga zoo this week.         Explore more on these topics (https://www.theguardian.com/world/bird-flu) Bird flu  (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/south-australia) South Australia  (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/wildlife) Wildlife  (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/marine-life) Marine life  (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/dolphins) Dolphins  (https://www.theguardian.com/tone/news) news    (mailto:?subject=Dolphin dies from H5 bird flu in SA as researchers withdrawn from sub-Antarctic island over ‘psychosocial risk’&body=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/aug/28/dolphin-dies-from-h5-bird-flu-in-sa-as-researchers-withdrawn-from-sub-antarctic-island-over-psychosocial-risk?CMP=share_btn_url) Share     (https://syndication.theguardian.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fenvironment%2F2026%2Faug%2F28%2Fdolphin-dies-from-h5-bird-flu-in-sa-as-researchers-withdrawn-from-sub-antarctic-island-over-psychosocial-risk&type=article&internalpagecode=environment/2026/aug/28/dolphin-dies-from-h5-bird-flu-in-sa-as-researchers-withdrawn-from-sub-antarctic-island-over-psychosocial-risk) (Reuse this content) Reuse this content                  More on this story                        More on this story                       (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/aug/26/sammy-elephant-seal-victoria-h5n1-bird-flu-hotspot)    ()      Fears for ‘gregarious’ local celebrity Sammy the elephant seal in Victorian bird flu hotspot   (Tuesday, August 25, 2026 at 11:31 PM Eastern Daylight Time) 2d ago           (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/25/australia-has-just-12000-sea-lions-left-and-carnage-may-await-them-as-bird-flu-takes-hold-scientists-warn)    ()      Australia has just 12,000 sea lions left – and ‘carnage’ may await them as bird flu takes hold, scientists warn   (Monday, August 24, 2026 at 11:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 4d ago           (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/aug/24/little-penguins-bird-flu-vaccination-phillip-island-australia)    ()      How do you vaccinate 1,000 tiny penguins against bird flu in the wild? It’s ‘really tricky’ but there is a way   (Monday, August 24, 2026 at 02:11 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 4d ago           (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/23/fur-seal-death-first-australian-mainland-mammal-h5-bird-flu)    ()      Fur seal’s death marks first Australian mainland mammal fatality from spreading H5 bird flu strain   (Saturday, August 22, 2026 at 08:42 PM Eastern Daylight Time) 5d ago           (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/aug/23/black-swan-bird-flu-western-australia)    ()      ‘Devastating’: Western Australia fears a black swan moment as bird flu threatens flagship species   (Saturday, August 22, 2026 at 04:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time) 6d ago  (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/aug/23/black-swan-bird-flu-western-australia#comments)    … … comments            (https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2026/aug/21/thousands-of-little-penguins-being-vaccinated-against-h5-bird-flu-in-victoria-video)    ()      Thousands of little penguins being vaccinated against H5 bird flu in Victoria – video   (Friday, August 21, 2026 at 12:25 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 21 Aug 2026           (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/20/more-than-1000-birds-found-dead-in-three-mass-mortality-events-amid-significant-h5-escalation-in-australia)    ()      More than 1,000 birds found dead in three mass mortality events amid ‘significant’ H5 escalation in Australia   (Thursday, August 20, 2026 at 04:51 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 20 Aug 2026           (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/18/bird-flu-wildlife-australian-birds-most-at-risk)    ()      Bird flu has devastated wildlife around the world. What Australian birds are most at risk?   (Monday, August 17, 2026 at 11:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 17 Aug 2026  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/18/bird-flu-wildlife-australian-birds-most-at-risk#comments)    … … comments            (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/15/bird-flu-h5n1-mutation-more-deadly-virus-australia)    ()      Bird flu has been evolving and migrating for 30 years. 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