Shut for a month after bird flu outbreak, Delhi zoo may reopen soon

Delhi zoo director Sanjeet Kumar stated that the authorities have submitted a formal proposal to resume operations, which will be approved in line with regulatory guidelines. “The last sample, collected on October 1 and reported on October 7, tested negative. Following two consecutive negative results since the last positive case, we have moved the reopening proposal. The date will be announced once approval comes from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC),” he added.

The zoo was shut on August 30 after several birds, including painted storks and black-headed ibises, died owing to an avian influenza outbreak.

Four samples had then tested positive for H5N1 avian influenza, with the last confirmed case recorded on September 1. Since then, random sampling across aviaries and enclosures has shown no further infections.

This closure marked the third time the zoo has had to suspend operations due to avian influenza, with the previous shutdowns taking place in 2016 and 2021.

In response to the avian influenza outbreak, Delhi zoo authorities had earlier stated that it had implemented stringent biosecurity protocols as per the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. These measures include enhanced surveillance and disinfection procedures to prevent the spread of the H5N1 virus among the zoo’s bird population.

From the homepage

Karur stampede: Actor Vijay’s TVK moves Supreme Court seeking an independent probe into the September 27 tragedy

2 soldiers missing in South Kashmir forests, Army launches search operation

‘A very sad state of affairs’: Allahabad HC says courts overburdened, many lawyers not helping