Bird flu outbreak in Israel kills 5,000 cranes and sparks slaughter of half a million chickens

Environment minister calls death of migratory cranes from virus the most serious damage to wildlife in the history of the country'

A bird flu outbreak in northern Israel has killed at least 5,200 migratory cranes and forced farmers to slaughter hundreds of thousands of chickens as authorities try to contain what they say is the deadliest wildlife disaster in the nation's history.

Uri Naveh, a senior scientist at the Israel Parks and Nature Authority, said the situation was not yet under control. Many of the birds are dead in the middle of the water body so it's difficult for them to be taken out," he said on Monday.