Bird flu has now been confirmed in a goose collected from Gibson Park in Great Falls earlier this week. Officials say the goose showed clear signs of illness before testing positive, and now the city is taking extra precautions to protect both people and wildlife.
The confirmation came after a couple found a sick goose in the park on September 26th. Believing it could recover, they took it home to nurse it back to health, but the goose died shortly afterward. Following advice from the Cascade City-County Health Department, the couple submitted the bird to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) for testing, which later confirmed the presence of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, or HPAI.
Aneesa Coomer reports - watch the video:
The HPAI virus has been identified in birds and mammals across Montana and the U.S. since 2022. While human infections are extremely rare, the virus can spread among wild birds, domestic flocks, and some mammals that come in contact with infected carcasses or feces.
The individuals who had direct contact with the goose were also tested for the virus, and those results came back negative earlier this week. While human infections are extremely rare, health and city officials say they acted quickly to coordinate with state agencies to protect the public, pets, and the Gibson Park bird population.
City Communications Specialist Meredith Dawson says, “We’re advising the public to not touch wildlife, especially wildlife that appears to be sick or is behaving abnormally. We’re asking people to keep their pets away from wild birds, wild bird feces and wild bird carcasses.”
The positive test result prompted the City of Great Falls to cancel this year’s annual Duck Roundup, a community tradition that typically brings staff, volunteers, and families together to help move the park’s ducks and geese indoors for the winter.
City officials say the decision was made “out of an abundance of caution,” given the timing of the outbreak and the large number of people and animals that usually attend the event.
Dawson explains, “We just want it to be as safe as possible and not expose anyone unnecessarily to the virus. People also bring pets and things to the duck roundup. It's rare that pets are infected, but it is possible, so we’re just keeping the risks as low as possible.”
Instead, park crews will relocate the birds to their indoor facility using safety protocols and protective equipment recommended by wildlife veterinarians.
Parks Manager Kevin Vining says, “They’ll be using masks and gloves, and we don’t try to have any contact with them. We’ll continue to care for them, we clean our facility daily, trying to just keep our flocks safe and everyone as safe as we can.”
The Parks and Recreation Department has also posted new signage at Gibson Park urging the public not to touch birds, especially those that appear sick or are behaving abnormally. Staff members are wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) when handling wildlife, as instructed by a wildlife veterinarian.
To date, Montana has never reported a single case of bird flu infection in humans, according to health officials. Cascade County Health Officer Abigail Hill says that while human infections are extremely uncommon, the virus can pose a higher risk for pets and wildlife that come into contact with infected animals.
“There is that potential exposure to humans, different animals, our pets and things that we care about,” Hill says. “But I just want to underscore that it’s extremely rare, extremely rare, that we actually get a human infection from bird flu. Mammals are more likely to contract it if they’re eating a sick, dead bird. And so really just trying to keep your pets away from migratory birds in general.”
Hill explained that avian influenza cases in Montana are typically linked to migratory birds that travel through the state each fall and spring. “It’s not something that can be prevented entirely, you can’t control where a goose or duck decides to land, but the important thing is to avoid direct contact.”
The health department is also reminding residents to report any dead or sick wild birds to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks at (406) 577-7880. If domestic animals appear ill after exposure to wild birds, owners are urged to contact a veterinarian or the Montana Department of Livestock at (406) 444-2976.
Despite the recent case, Parks and Recreation staff say the Gibson Park flock currently appears healthy. The birds will still be moved indoors for the winter in the coming days, as usual, but with heightened precautions. The enclosed environment will help reduce the flock’s exposure to migratory birds that may be carrying the virus.
City leaders say they’ll continue monitoring the situation closely and work with wildlife experts throughout the fall.
