(Fish Lake, IN) - More than 100 migrating Sandhill Cranes have been found dead in Fish Lake from Avian Influenza, which has resulted in millions of deaths of mostly chickens in Indiana and across the nation.

 

Eli Fleace, an Indiana Department of Natural Resources Avian Flu Health Specialist, said Sandhill Cranes migrating north have been hit especially hard this year by the current H5N1 strain of the virus. 

 

“This is the first time that H5N1 has caused a mortality event in the cranes at this scale,” he said.

 

According to DNR, close to 1,500 Sandhill Cranes in Indiana have died, so far, this year from bird flu in LaPorte, Starke, Jasper, Newton, Green and Union counties.

Historically, Sandhill Cranes migrate from winter nesting places as far south as Florida to Michigan in February and early March.

 

Fish Lake is an unincorporated community in eastern LaPorte County with a body of water that has the same name as the community of about 1,000 residents in Lincoln Township.

 

Sean Leone, who lives along the shoreline, said he has picked up over 30 Sandhill Crane carcasses from the frozen lake since he began seeing the dead birds on the ice about two weeks ago.

Leone recently found a couple of individuals willing to help him dispose of as many of the remaining carcasses on the ice as possible.

 

“I can look out my window right now and count 45 of them,” he said.

He’s also planning to use a boat or raft to reach any carcasses floating in the water once the ice melts or becomes too thin to safely walk on. 

 

Leone said he wears gloves and a mask as recommended by DNR for people wanting to dispose of the carcasses without contracting the virus. He’s also following DNR recommendations to use a bleach solution or alcohol to sanitize his clothing afterwards along with a shovel that he uses to place the carcasses into plastic bags he takes to a dumpster.

 

“There’s still a lot to pick-up,” he said.

 

Leone said he’s disposing of the carcasses so they don’t come into contact and infect predators like hawks and eagles along with dogs or cats.

 

Sandhill Cranes are still migrating and landing in pockets of open water on Fish Lake to get a drink before resuming their trip north.

 

Fleace said a similar number of Sandhill Cranes succumbing to bird flu have also been reported at another popular migrating pit stop at the Kankakee Fish and Wildlife area in Starke County.

 

He believes the Sandhill Cranes are more susceptible this year to the virus from the strain possibly mutating and being able to attack the immune systems of the birds stronger than in the past. And, since Sandhill Cranes travel closely together in flocks of 20,000 or more, “it’s easy for them to spread the disease to each other,” he said.

 

Fleace said he’s hoping the surviving Sandhill Cranes from greater exposure to the virus will develop enough immunity in their populations to be only minimally impacted during next year’s migration season.

 

“I’m expecting to see fewer Sandhill deaths next year,” he said.

 

Fleace said the worst of the death toll in wild birds and poultry from the virus this year should be over soon.

 

He said the virus found in the feces of infected birds dies quickly as temperatures warm up, which reduces the risk of spread. Once migration season is over, Fleace said the birds from rest will also build up their immune systems weakened from such long travels.

 

“It is a cold weather virus so as the temperatures start to warm up we’ll see fewer and fewer cases,” he said.