Over a month after a bird flu outbreak forced its closure, the National Zoological Park (NZP) in Delhi is likely to reopen after October 30, with all recent tests for avian influenza returning negative. Delhi zoo director Dr Sanjeet Kumar said that while no active presence of the virus has been detected, the management will conduct two additional rounds of sampling at an interval of 15 days before taking a final call on reopening. “As part of ongoing surveillance, two additional rounds of sampling will be conducted at an interval of 15 days to ensure continued safety and disease-free status. Based on the results of these surveillance samples for Avian Influenza (H5N8), a decision will be taken to reopen the Zoo for visitors after October 30,” the National Zoological Park said in its statement on Saturday. “However, as a precautionary measure, the zoo management continues to strictly adhere to all prescribed biosecurity and surveillance guidelines issued by the competent authorities,” the statement reads. The zoo was closed to visitors on August 30 after several birds, including painted storks and black-headed ibises, died owing to an avian influenza outbreak. Four samples had tested positive for the H5N1 strain, with the last confirmed case recorded on September 1. Since then, multiple rounds of random sampling across aviaries and enclosures have shown no further infections. Officials said the latest sample, collected to check avian influenza on October 1, and reported on October 7, also tested negative. Following two consecutive negative results since the last positive case, the zoo had earlier moved a formal proposal to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change seeking approval to resume operations. This is the third time the zoo has had to suspend operations due to avian influenza, with the previous shutdowns taking place in 2016 and 2021.
