Why RFK Jr. wants Canada to pardon 400 ostriches

Politico

19 hours ago

MAGA supporters and Canada's 'Freedom Convoy' — which blockaded Ottawa for weeks over Covid-19 measures — have coalesced around the cause, which they say is an example of government overreach, an erosion of institutional trust, and outdated policies.
In May, Kennedy advised Canadian officials that 'significant scientific knowledge may be garnered from following the ostriches in a controlled environment.'
Mehmet Oz, Trump's administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, even offered to house the birds at his Florida ranch. Billionaire John Catsimatidis, an active member of the 'save the ostriches' campaign, has argued they have life-saving antibodies.
On Tuesday, the three men sent new letters to Prime Minister Mark Carney and his government urging them to change their policy, said Universal Ostrich Farms, which owns the ostriches. POLITICO has not seen the letters.
'I know Trump is very aware of it,' Katie Pasitney, whose parents own the British Columbia farm, said Tuesday afternoon in Ottawa. 'I guess we'll just see where that goes from here.'
In December, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency ordered a cull at the farm after tests confirmed two ostriches were infected with bird flu. Court documents show 69 birds died in December and January after the agency declared an outbreak.
Pasitney maintains the 'big, beautiful ostrich eggs' contain antibodies 'that have the ability to help animal and human welfare.' If the flock is killed, the farm would close, she said.
At the Federal Court of Appeal in Ottawa on Tuesday, Universal Ostrich Farms argued that the birds should be spared because they're not sick. The ostrich owners are appealing the dismissal of their applications for judicial review, with a decision expected in the coming days.