Going to the Fort Worth Zoo soon? Here’s why you won’t see many birds for a while.
The discovery of a highly contagious bird flu in North Texas has prompted the Fort Worth Zoo to keep a majority of its feathered residents out of public view as a precaution.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the highly pathogenic avian influenza in a pheasant flock in Erath County on Sunday. The disease is often fatal to poultry and chickens.
The Fort Worth Zoo has been monitoring the situation and has a preparedness plan in place, said Avery Elander, marketing and public relations director.
Erath County is about 70 miles southeast of Fort Worth. Since the disease was confirmed within 100 miles, the zoo will close aviaries, drain pools, increase cleaning, limit human traffic to certain areas and make fewer birds viewable to visitors, Elander said.
Several bird species will still be viewable as of this week, including the Abdim’s stork, African crown eagle, pelicans in the coastal aviary, hummingbirds and rockhopper penguins, to name a few. The situation is evolving and could change, Elander said.
The birds that are staying behind the scenes will remain indoors for up to 28 days since Sunday, per recommended guidelines, Elander said. If experts detect the virus within a defined area from the zoo during this time period, the sequestering will restart.
As of now, no human cases of the highly pathogenic avian influenza have been detected in the U.S. The virus doesn’t present an immediate public concern, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Dallas Zoo also is keeping various bird species behind the scenes.
