Kanpur zoo closed after bird flu confirmed in two dead fowls

KANPUR: The city zoo was on Saturday closed after confirmation of bird flu or the dreaded avian influenza in two red jungle fowls that were found dead in the zoo hospital premises recently.
Between January 2 and 7, four red jungle fowls had died while six had been culled at the zoo on suspicion of having the dreaded avian disease. The zoo administration had sent the swab samples of two of these birds to the National Institute of High Security Animal Disease in Bhopal for confirmation regarding avian influenza.
The lab report that came late on Saturday evening, confirmed bird flu in the dead birds following which the zoo campus was sealed and made out of bounds for the visitors with immediate effect.
Chief veterinary officer, Dr AP Mishra said on Saturday, “Swab samples of red jungle fowls confirm they died of avian influenza. The zoo has been closed for the visitors from immediate effect to contain the spread of the disease outside this campus.”
Since the disease is airborne and highly communicable, zoo authorities have taken steps to protect more zoo birds from coming into contact with hundreds of migratory birds that make the zoo their temporary abode during winters.
Kanpur zoo is house to 500 birds of 30 different species. The zoo campus has a sprawling lake spread in an area of 18 hectares. Migratory birds come and breed in and around this lake area.
Keeping this in view, security has been heightened around the lake. Zoo authorities have formed teams that are keeping an eye over zoo birds and also over the migratory birds that made nests in and around the lake.
The teams are checking for dead birds, if any, and are following all bio-security measures, a zoo official said. “Precautionary measures include imposed strict security on the campus, including sanitisation of the zoo hospital campus and aviary,” said a zoo official.
The zoo administration has also started sanitisation of the entire Kanpur zoo premises. Also the zoo keepers have been trained in past two days how to act in such a situation when there is an outbreak of influenza.
A zoo staff told TOI that the walk-in-aviary has been covered using tarpaulin cloth to ensure that there is no contact between the migratory birds and the ones housed in the zoo. Zoo keepers have also been instructed to restrict their free movement within the zoo campus. This has been done as a precautionary measure. Keepers of aviary are donning PPE kits to prevent themselves from the influenza.