Hundreds of dead, injured birds found along shorelines of Ontario's Georgian Bay
Warning: Some people may find the details of this story disturbing.
An investigation is underway after hundreds of dead and injured birds washed up on the shores of Southern Georgian Bay.
The Shades of Hope Wildlife Refuge is involved in the investigation that spans beaches in Collingwood, Midland and Tiny Township.
Experts from the refuge say the birds are fish eaters and have likely consumed bacteria from the fish, which ultimately causes the birds to develop a form of botulism.
Some of the birds were seen struggling along the shoreline and the rescue organization says it is trying to save as many of them as possible.
A dead bird is found on the shoreline in Wasaga Beach, Ont. (Supplied)
The rescue organization is trying to save as many of the birds as possible.
"A lot of them are arctic birds, and there are loons, and grebes, and many, many species that already face so many hardships," said Shades of Hope Director Cathy Stockman.
"To have this potentially kill thousands of these birds is just beyond," she added.
Ten years ago, nearly 6,000 birds washed up on the shores. Authorities believed botulism was to blame in that case.
Botulism is a serious illness caused by toxins that can induce difficulty breathing, paralysis, and death.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
BREAKING Mounties will not be charged in shooting death of B.C. Indigenous man
Three Mounties in British Columbia will not face charges in the killing of a 38-year-old Indigenous man on Vancouver Island in 2021.
Canada's favourite sport to watch is hockey, survey shows
The 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs have already delivered a fever level of fan excitement in Canada.
Douglas DC-4 plane with 2 people on board crashes into river outside Fairbanks, Alaska
A Douglas C-54 Skymaster airplane crashed into the Tanana River near Fairbanks on Tuesday, Alaska State Troopers said.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
'It's just so hard to let it go': Umar Zameer still haunted by death of Toronto police officer
“It's just so hard to let it go. I mean, everyone is telling me, ‘you have to move on,’ but I know someone is not here [anymore]. So I don't know how I will move on." That’s what Umar Zameer, the man recently acquitted in the death of a Toronto police officer, told CTV News Toronto in a sit-down interview on Tuesday.
NASA hears from Voyager 1, the most distant spacecraft from Earth, after months of quiet
NASA has finally heard back from Voyager 1 again in a way that makes sense. The most distant spacecraft from Earth hadn't sent home any understandable data since last November.