Australians are being urged to avoid but record and report sick animals following the first-time detection of a deadly avian disease on the mainland.
Confirmation of H5 bird flu was announced on Saturday after a sick brown skua was found on a remote beach in Cape Le Grand National Park near Esperance, about 700km southeast of Perth.
This strain has already killed millions of animals across the world and could threaten Australia's native wildlife and farmed animals.
But Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said the government had been planning for its spread.
"We all knew that we couldn't be bird flu-free forever," she told reporters.
"Whilst disappointing, this is not unexpected given the global spread of the H5 bird flu virus."
