Members of the public have been told not to feed birds at a Fife nature reserve after an outbreak of avian flu.
The Fife Coast and Countryside Trust says several infected swans have died at Birnie and Gaddon Lochs in North East Fife.
Visitors to the nature reserve near Collessie, close to Fife Zoo, are being not to feed birds at the site due to the outbreak.
Avian flu, also referred to as bird flu, is an infectious type of influenza that spreads among birds.
In rare cases it can affect humans.
Bird flu warning at Fife nature reserve as ‘a number of swans’ die
A post on the trust’s Facebook page said: “Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 (bird flu) has been confirmed at Birnie and Gaddon Lochs, with a number of swans succumbing to the disease.
“Bird flu mostly spreads from bird to bird through direct or indirect contact with infected saliva, nasal secretions, or droppings, as well as through predation/scavenging.
“We would ask that members of the public do not feed the birds on site, as this encourages the birds to congregate together.”
Visitors have also been told to keep dogs on leads and avoid picking up or touching dead or sick wild birds, bird feathers or surfaces contaminated with bird droppings.
Any dead wild birds can be reported online.
Birnie and Gaddon Lochs were excavated during the 1980s and 1990s as sand and gravel quarries.
Since then they have been restored to provide a home for various bird and plant species.
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