California Today

UC Riverside cited for hummingbird death, third animal welfare violation

26 May 2026 09:22

UC Riverside has been cited by the USDA for a third time in three years for animal welfare violations, following the death of a hummingbird in January. - The hummingbird died after lab personnel failed to contact the attending veterinarian promptly.

- Previous citations include a 2024 hummingbird death and a 2023 vole death incident. - The university has only received warning letters due to a Supreme Court ruling limiting fines.

- UC Riverside says it has improved reporting processes to comply with USDA expectations.

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