The cull of more than 300 ostriches at a British Columbia farm ended Friday, less than 24 hours after the Supreme Court of Canada rejected a final appeal to stop it. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency oversaw the operation at Universal Ostrich Farms near Edgewood, ending a months-long standoff between the farm’s owners and federal authorities.

Gunfire began shortly after nightfall Thursday, with police blocking access roads as CFIA workers carried out the cull under veterinary supervision. The agency said professional marksmen were used as part of what it called a humane and controlled process in response to an avian influenza outbreak detected last winter. The birds were later loaded into large metal containers for disposal.

The CFIA said the use of marksmen was consistent with veterinary guidelines and that the cull followed established disease-response procedures. A CFIA operations manual has described shooting as a last resort when other methods are impractical.

The farm’s owners had fought the cull order through multiple court challenges, arguing that the surviving ostriches were healthy and could offer valuable research insights into herd immunity. They maintained that the cull was unnecessary and sought permission for further testing.

Federal courts had previously rejected their arguments, and on Thursday morning, the Supreme Court declined to hear the case, ending the legal effort to block the CFIA’s decision.

Supporters gathered near the property throughout the night, shouting at officials as shots echoed from the enclosure. Police said their role was limited to ensuring safety, citing prior threats directed at CFIA staff.

By Friday, CFIA crews in protective suits began removing the carcasses as farm supporters watched from behind police lines. Some described the scene as distressing and criticized the agency’s handling of the operation.

The decision not to retest the flock for possible natural immunity has raised broader concerns about transparency and proportionality in federal disease-control measures. Critics argue that if the risk of mutation had truly posed an imminent threat to public or animal health, the cull should have occurred months earlier when the outbreak was first detected.

The survival and apparent health of the ostriches since then have fuelled questions about whether the action was rooted in science or politics. For many in the agricultural community, the incident stands as a warning about the growing reach of government intervention in farm operations across Canada.