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PHOENIX - People living in Gilbert's Morrison Ranch are raising concerns about birds dying in community ponds.
What they're saying:
We had several viewers reach out to us, so we reached out to the Arizona Game and Fish Department to find out what's going on.
"So, we've received reports of ducks dying at a pond near the Gilbert water preserve in the town of Gilbert," said Arizona Game and Fish Department wildlife veterinarian Dr. Anne Justice-Allen.
She says the town of Gilbert reached out to AZGFD about reports of ducks dying in a Gilbert pond. Specifically, neighbors reported several birds dying at a reclaimed water pond located on the backside of Gilbert's Cactus Yards sports facility.
AZGFD took samples on June 4 and is testing birds for avian flu, but they suspect bacteria is to blame.
"We suspect something called avian botulism," she said.
While AZGFD won't have results for a few days, they say if it is avian botulism, it only affects birds, not people or pets.
"We do see regular outbreaks of this disease almost every summer in some of our locations in waters, and it really just depends on a lot of different factors. Heat is one of them, water quality is one of them and then there are a few other factors, too. The number of ducks around, that sort of thing," Justice-Allen said.
What you can do:
If you see any dead ducks in the area, or observe other dead birds or wildlife, you should contact AZGFD's 24-hour dispatch service at 623-236-7201, and they can forward that information to a wildlife manager.
If it's in a Gilbert park, you can report it to Gilbert’s park rangers at 480-503-6263, press 1.