South Australia has confirmed the first death of an endangered Australian sea lion from H5 bird flu, after a sea lion was found dead at Seal Bay on Kangaroo Island (the site of the third-largest single colony of the species). The animal had been recovering from a shark attack, but authorities determined bird flu was the cause of death. The finding has alarmed conservationists: only around 10,000 Australian sea lions are thought to remain, with 85% living in South Australia, and the population was already declining by 2% annually before the virus arrived. Experts warn the outbreak could prove catastrophic — comparable to losses of up to 95% seen in some pinniped populations elsewhere in the world — and South Australia's environment minister, Emily Bourke, said the government is seeking to participate in an experimental vaccine trial similar to one recently conducted on Hawaii's endangered monk seals.