STOCKTON — Students were stunned this past week as dozens of the wild Canada geese that inhabit Stockton’s campus were found dead, seemingly dying where they stood.

The cause for the rapid loss of life around Lake Fred, as well as all of New Jersey, is speculated to be an outbreak of H5N1, also known as bird flu. This virus is highly contagious to many bird populations, but it’s incredibly common in waterfowl.

Over 166 million birds have died in the United States since the outbreak was first reported in 2022, and that number is expected to climb exponentially, according to a report by the Los Angeles Times in 2025. Tests on the recently deceased birds are still pending, but officials highly suspect that the reasoning behind the massive number of deaths is because of a bird flu outbreak.

The recent reports of dead birds started coming in around Presidents’ Day weekend, and over 1,100 birds have been found recently dead in New Jersey alone. In South Jersey, dead Canada geese were found in large numbers in Burlington and Salem counties, while recent reports have been rising in Atlantic, Cumberland, and Cape May Counties.

Stockton’s Wellness Center sent out an email to the student body on February 7, asking students to report any dead birds found on campus. The email also implored that students do not “touch, approach, or attempt to move any sick, injured, or deceased geese or other wildlife.”

Signs that a bird may be sick include lethargy, difficulty walking or flying, visible swelling or discharge, or sudden death without visible injury.

Students are encouraged to contact John Fritsch at John.Fritsch@stockton.edu or (609) 626-6052 if they find a bird that is deceased on campus.

The email follows with reports of Stockton students picking up dead birds and taking them into housing units. The Argo was able to confirm through an anonymous resident assistant that students did bring deceased birds into a housing unit, but wasn’t able to acquire specific details.

While bird flu cases are rare in humans, they still can happen. Mammalian bird flu outbreaks occurred several times over the last three years, including a Caspian seal outbreak in 2022, killing 700. In 2023, 24,000 South American sea lions were killed due to an outbreak of the virus. In one instance in 2024, bird flu was found in raw milk following an outbreak among cows. In the last two years, 71 humans have been infected, killing two.

The outbreak has closed two parks in Gloucester County, Alcyon Park and Betty Park, after large amounts of dead birds were found. The recent uptick in cases of bird flu can be attributed to the recent freezing temperatures, causing waterfowl to congregate due to frozen water sources. The large groups are susceptible to infection, and the disease will then kill the entire congregation.

If you see any dead birds on and off campus, please report them to the New Jersey Department of Fish and Wildlife through this form.