Tests due next week should help discover the cause of death of 100 birds on the shore of Lake Wānaka.
Fish & Game staff found 85 dead paradise shelducks and a mallard duck on the lake margin and in a nearby paddock on Monday morning this week.
Members of the public also removed a dead black swan, nine Canada geese, three paradise shelduck and a mallard on Monday.
Fish & Game staff inspecting the site saw no signs of physical injury causing the birds’ deaths.
Members of the public were advised not to touch any more of the dead birds, but to keep pets away and advise authorities.
When contacted, Ministry for Primary Industries biosurveillance and incursion manager Wendy McDonald said the occurrence of such an event was not uncommon.
Biosecurity New Zealand was overseeing postmortems and toxicology tests after the dead birds were found at Dublin Bay.
The agency’s main role was to determine if exotic (introduced) disease was involved in the deaths, a spokesman said.
