To kick off Rebel News investigation into what many are calling the “Ostrich Massacre” of Edgewood B.C., we interviewed a whistleblower from inside Canada’s culling industry about why he believes the CFIA’s method of slaughtering over 300 healthy ostriches was anything but humane.

The anonymous source, whose identity and credentials Rebel News has verified, says what happened on the night of November 6 into the early morning of November 7 was “nothing short of barbaric.”

According to the insider, who has decades of experience, the method the marksmen the CFIA hired to carry out the “cull order” was “in no way humane.”

But the CFIA claims the opposite, insisting that its operation was carried out according to professional standards. In an official statement, the agency said:

After consulting with experts experienced in managing ostrich disease outbreaks, the CFIA concluded that the most appropriate and humane option was to use professional marksmen in a controlled on-farm setting. All depopulation activities were completed under CFIA veterinary supervision.

“It was done at night under flood light, and those animals would have been running around” described the source.

“I don’t believe that there is any marksmen in the world that would get a direct hit into the brain of an animal that’s running 43-45 miles per hour, with an ostrich head being probably 10 square centimetres.”

The whistleblower, who works closely with the CFIA in the cull industry, says he’s never seen anything as inhumane and distressing as what he believes occurred during this slaughter and went on to describe how the cull should have been performed to ensure the prehistoric creatures did not suffer.

“The claim that a veterinarian was present raises serious questions,” the insider wrote in a letter posted by Canadian businessman, Shaun Rickard, who has been calling for accountability from the CFIA and RCMP who were there during the massacre.

“The role of an on-site veterinarian is to ensure that animals are slaughtered correctly and with minimal stress — a standard clearly not met in this case. If a veterinarian was indeed present, it would appear their involvement was limited to confirming death rather than overseeing humane slaughter practices” the whistleblower explained.

This revelation adds another devastating layer to the story of how more than 300 ostriches — intelligent, curious creatures whose anti-body rich eggs involved in viral therapeutics could have served humanity — were wiped out by the state of Canada, under the guise of public and “animal health” from an avian flu the recovered birds caught a year ago.

As part of our “Avenge the Ostriches” investigation, Rebel News will continue to seek answers from the CFIA and federal authorities who signed off on this national disgrace.

Help Rebel News continue its reporting on the Ostrich massacre!

For months, our team has been on the ground at Universal Ostrich Farms, documenting every step of this tragedy — from the first ominous signs of federal overreach to the night nearly a thousand shots rang out, leaving a field of hundreds of dead ostriches and a family shattered.

Our journalists confronted the RCMP, pressed CFIA officials, launched drones to reveal the truth, and refused to be intimidated or silenced.

But holding powerful institutions to account takes resources: travel, security, legal access, and the manpower of an around-the-clock reporting team.

If you believe in independent journalism that asks the tough questions the establishment won’t touch, please chip in to help us keep digging.

Optional email code

Amount

$25

$50

$75

$100

$250

$500

$1,000

$2,500

Other

$

Donation frequency

One-time

Monthly

DONATE