Zoo facing bird cull after pelican dies from avian flu
AN OUTBREAK of avian flu at a Devon zoo has triggered a lockdown in an attempt to protect some of the world’s rarest birds.
Paignton Zoo yesterday confirmed that a pelican, which died on Sunday, had been tested and was confirmed to have the virus.
The attraction, which has been closed to the public since the discovery, will remain shut until an investigation into the outbreak has been carried out.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the UK was currently battling its “largest ever outbreak” of bird flu and “sadly a number of birds will have to be culled”.
The zoo is home to 439 birds spanning 86 species, a number of which are critically endangered. It is home to the UK’S only kiwi bird as well as the Edwards’s pheasant which has not been seen in the wild since 2000.
The zoo also looks after Socorro doves which are currently extinct in the wild and only number 100 in captivity.
The Government’s Animal and Plant Health Agency said that “highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 was confirmed on Aug 29 in captive wild birds”.
It said that a two-mile controlled zone was in place around the zoo and “affected birds would be humanely culled”. A spokesman for the zoo said its veterinary staff were working with the Government “to plan and implement the necessary biosecurity and quarantine measures to safeguard our birds”.
A Defra spokesman said: “The UK is experiencing its largest ever outbreak of bird flu, and our teams are working around the clock to support those impacted by this terrible disease.
“Avian influenza has been confirmed at a registered zoo in Devon. Subject to a veterinary assessment, a number of birds will sadly need to be culled in order to limit the risk of the disease spreading to other birds and to mitigate any potential risk to public health.”
The outbreak is one of three confirmed over the weekend across the country.
A “highly pathogenic” form of the virus is said to be behind the severity of this year’s outbreak.