Courtesy Idaho Fish & Game

More than 1,000 dead ducks were found near Oakley, ID last week. Fish & Game officials are working to understand what caused the massive deaths.

BOISE - More than 2,000 dead mallard ducks have been found in the Magic Valley.

A Fish and Game spokesperson says that it is unlikely bird flu in a cause in the mass deaths, but an investigation is underway.

“Preliminary diagnosis is a bacterial infection is the likely cause,” said Magic Valley Fish & Game supervisor David Parrish. “State veterinarians in Boise have found the lung tissue of the ducks to be full of white and yellowish bacterial abscesses. They also found hemorrhaging around the heart. At this point in time, however, we are not ruling out any potential cause.”

The ducks were found about 15 miles southeast of Burley near Oakley.  The investigation is probing nearly every aspect of the ducks and surrounding environment.

“All responsible agencies are doing everything in their power to ascertain the cause of mortality,” Parrish said. “Tissue and water samples have been collected by local, state and federal investigators, and we are currently running tests.”

Officials put up signs in the in the area warning hunters not to eat any waterfoul until an exact cause has been pinned down.

Samples have been sent to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lab in Wisconsin, the University of Idaho and Washington State University for testing. Biologists there are also screening for both organophosphate and zinc phosphide - pesticides known to affect ducks.

A hunter found the first ducks on Dec. 8th, and Fish & Game officers found about 10 of the dead animals along a the Land Creek Springs stream bank.  Officer returned on Sunday and found another 500 animals – that number has since risen to more than 2,000.

NewsChannel 7 has a crew in the Magic Valley - find more on News at 6 and 10 - and on KTVB.COM

Courtesy Idaho Fish & Game

Courtesy Idaho Fish & Game

A Fish & Game truck filled with dead ducks near Oakley, ID