Avian flu feared in Canadian polar bears after disease kills bear in Alaska

Scientists fear Canadian polar bears may be threatened by the spread of avian flu after officials confirmed the disease killed a bear in Alaska.

University of Alberta polar bear expert Andrew Derocher says there’s a high likelihood the deadly wildlife disease already exists in animals on the Canadian side.

Alaskan officials confirmed avian flu after a necropsy on the bear, found on the coast about 500 kilometres from the Canadian border.

But Derocher says those procedures are hardly ever performed on dead bears found in Canada.