Painted stork found dead, another sick at Delhi zoo

The National Zoological Park here has stepped up surveillance and biosecurity measures after a fresh carcass of a migratory painted stork was found near a pond and another stork was detected sick in the water bird aviary, officials said on Monday.

“During the surveillance, a carcass of migratory painted stork was found near the pond, while another painted stork was found sick in a water bird aviary. The bird has been shifted to isolation ward for treatment. The carcass of the migratory painted stork and sets of swab samples of sick animals have been sent to the lab,” said zoo director Sanjeet Kumar.

Meanwhile, the zoo also reported a fresh case of H5N1 avian influenza. “Samples collected from a migratory painted stork in the pond area on August 30 have tested positive for H5NI virus. The samples were sent to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal,” he said.

The authorities said intensive surveillance and biosecurity measures, as per official guidelines, were being maintained to prevent the spread of infection among birds, animals in enclosures and zoo workers. Cleaning and disinfection are being carried out twice daily in animal houses and bird areas.

An emergency virtual meeting of the zoo’s health advisory committee, which includes experts from the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Izatnagar, and veterinary colleges in Hisar and Mathura, has been convened to decide further containment measures.

Earlier on August 30, two painted storks at the zoo had tested positive for bird flu. Following the detection, the zoo authorities restricted the movement of birds, intensified monitoring of enclosures and issued directions for enhanced protective measures for frontline staff.

The National Zoological Park, which houses several species of migratory and resident birds along with endangered wild animals, has been under close watch since the first cases were detected.

Random samples of poultry would be collected from markets and Murga Mandi, Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Singh said on Monday after several birds died of bird flu at the Delhi zoo.

Assuring that there is “nothing to worry about”, Singh said the Health Department was fully prepared to deal with the situation.

The department is closely monitoring the developments while keeping hospitals and surveillance teams in the city on alert, he said.