15 bird deaths at Gwalior zoo in 3 days spark fear of bird flu

Gwalior, October 21

Nearly 15 birds in Gwalior zoo have died in the past three days, prompting the authorities concerned to send their samples for testing for bird flu virus.

“For the past three days nearly 15 birds (painted stork) died in the zoo following which their viscera was sent to Jabalpur- and Bhopal-based laboratories for testing,” zoo officer Dr Pradeep Srivastava told PTI.

After bird-flu scare in Delhi’s zoo and deer park, the authorities here are not taking any chances.

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They said a call on opening the Gwalior zoo for public would be taken after getting the laboratory report.

“Friday is a holiday for the zoo and, therefore, it is closed. But the decision on whether to open it from Saturday will be taken only after getting report from the Bhopal-based laboratory,” Srivastava said.

Following the death of some pelicans, the National Zoological Park in Delhi has been shut down temporarily amid a bird flu scare.

The Delhi government also shut down the famous Hauz Khas Deer Park amid bird flu scare following the death of avians in suspected cases of H5N1 influenza virus.

The Delhi government has appealed to the residents not to touch dead birds and instead call its helpline number if they spot any.

While the H5N1 virus can infect people, no human bird flu case has ever been recorded in India despite several outbreaks among birds. PTI