Delhi Zoo shut for visitors due to bird flu outbreak

An outbreak of bird flu or avian influenza has forced authorities to shut down the National Zoological Park or Delhi Zoo.

Two black-necked ibises died on August 28 in the zoo. Their samples were sent to the National Institute for High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal, according to a statement by the zoo. The samples tested positive for the H5N1 avian influenza virus.

On August 29, painted storks also tested positive for bird flu, causing the authorities to close the zoo temporarily to the public. By August 31, six storks and two ibises had died in the zoo’s aviary. Four migratory birds also died.

Three painted storks and one black-necked ibis have been segregated for treatment and are under observation, the Hindu reported. It added that surveillance and bio-security measures have been intensified at the zoo.