Bird flu outbreak in California elephant seals prompts officials to cancel popular tours

Researchers say seven seal pups have tested positive for an avian flu virus at California’s Año Nuevo State Park and several more are showing signs of the illness. The outbreak has prompted park officials to cancel the park's popular seal-watching tours for the remainder of the seal breeding season.

Researchers with University of California-Santa Cruz and University of California-Davis made the announcement Wednesday, calling it the first detected outbreak of the virus among marine mammals in California.

The worldwide bird flu outbreak that began in 2020 has led to the deaths of millions of domesticated birds and spread to wildlife around the world, and seals and sea lions appear to be particularly vulnerable to the disease. The virus has led to the deaths of thousands of sea lions in Chile and Peru, thousands of elephant seals in Argentina, and hundreds of seals in New England in recent years.

The virus is considered to be a low risk to humans, but officials said people should avoid approaching the seals and keep pets away from the animals.

Thousands of elephant seals come to Año Nuevo State Park, about 90 minutes south of San Francisco, every winter to fight, mate and give birth. The annual spectacle draws tourists and wildlife watchers eager to see the largest seals on the planet, some watching from public viewing areas and others signing up for docent-led guided walks through the breeding grounds, known as rookeries.

But for now, the viewing area is closed, and tours at Año Nuevo have been canceled “out of an abundance of caution,” said Jordan Burgess, the deputy district superintendent of the California Department of Parks and Recreation. Officials hope the move will help prevent any spread of the disease that might be caused by people tracking through the areas where the elephant seals are living, she said.

“We're definitely not panicking about human exposure at this point,” but rather trying to ensure the health of the seals and people in general, Burgess said.

Christine Johnson, the director of the Institute for Pandemic Insights at UC Davis' Weill School of Veterinary Medicine, said the outbreak was spotted quickly because researchers have been on high alert in recent years, watching for any sign of the arrival of the disease. After sick and dead animals were spotted on Feb. 19 and 20, researchers collected samples for testing at the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System. The screening showed the animals were infected with HPAI H5N1 virus.

Tests on samples from about 30 more animals are still pending, Johnson said.

The university researchers are working with state and federal wildlife managers and The West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network to monitor the animals.

FILE - Red Star chickens feed in their coop, Jan. 10, 2023, at Historic Wagner Farm in Glenview, Ill.(AP Photo/Erin Hooley, File)

FILE - Elephant seals rest on a beach at Año Nuevo State Park, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, in Pescadero, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez,File)

FILE - A female elephant seal watches visitors on a tour of Año Nuevo State Park, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, in Pescadero, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez,File)

FILE - People watch as elephant seals rest on a beach at Año Nuevo State Park, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, in Pescadero, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez,File)

FILE - An elephant seal pup, right, rests next to female elephant seals on a beach at Año Nuevo State Park, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, in Pescadero, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez,File)

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Andrew Vaughn had four hits and four RBIs, including a two-run double that tied the score in the ninth inning, and the Milwaukee Brewers outlasted the Athletics 15-14 in 12 innings Monday night at Las Vegas Ballpark in a wild game that featured 11 homers.

Automatic runner Christian Yelich scored the decisive run from third when Athletics second baseman Jeff McNeil threw wide to home plate on a grounder by Brice Turang in the top of the 12th.

Abner Uribe (4-2) got four outs for the win and Chad Patrick struck out McNeil with runners at the corners for his third save.

José Suarez (0-2) took the loss despite striking out four batters in two hitless innings.

The teams totaled 34 hits, and 14 pitchers combined to throw 444 pitches. It was the fourth game in major league history with at least 29 runs and 11 homers.

Tyler Soderstrom and Nick Kurtz each homered twice for the Athletics, who went deep seven times at the site of their Triple-A affiliate, the Las Vegas Aviators. The team normally plays at its temporary home in West Sacramento, California, but is playing six games in Las Vegas this week ahead of a scheduled move into a new stadium in the city in 2028.

Shea Langeliers hit the first pitch from Brewers starter Kyle Harrison 483 feet to left-center field for his 17th home run. It was the longest home run of Langeliers’ career and the fourth-longest in the majors this season.

Both teams scored four times in the 10th.

William Contreras gave Milwaukee a 14-10 lead with a three-run homer off Scott Barlow projected at 463 feet, but the A's answered with an RBI single by Langeliers, a two-run shot by Kurtz and a tying homer from pinch-hitter Jonah Heim.

Zack Gelof also went deep for the Athletics, giving them an 8-4 lead in the third.

In addition to Contreras, the Brewers got home runs from Turang, Vaughn and Jake Bauers. Contreras had three of Milwaukee's 18 hits. Turang and Bauers each knocked in three runs. Jackson Chourio went 3 for 5 and scored three times.

Harrison gave up eight runs, eight hits and three homers in 2 1/3 innings after not allowing more than two runs in any of his first 11 outings. His ERA climbed from 1.57 to 2.72.

Brewers LHP Robert Gasser (0-2, 4.73 ERA) starts Tuesday opposite Athletics RHP J.T. Ginn (3-3, 2.74).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Athletics' Nick Kurtz (16) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Monday, June 8, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Chad Patrick (39) and catcher William Contreras (24) following the Brewers' victory over the Athletics Monday, June 8, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

The Milwaukee Brewers face off against the Athletics during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, June 8, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

Milwaukee Brewers' Brice Turang (2) is greeted by third base coach Matt Erickson, right, as he rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Athletics, Monday, June 8, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Abner Uribe (45) reacts after striking out the final batter to end the inning during the eleventh inning of a baseball game against the Athletics, Monday, June 8, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)