Penguins, ostriches, and flamingos isolating at Fota and Dublin Zoo to avoid bird flu
Humboldt penguins at Fota Wildlife Park in Cork are among the avians being confined indoors to prevent the spread of bird flu. Picture: Fota Wildlife Park
Birds in Ireland's zoos and wildlife parks have been moved to indoor habitats to protect them from the spread of bird flu.
While no cases have been reported at these facilities, cases of avian influenza have been detected among wild birds and on poultry farms in Ireland.
Both Fota Wildlife Park and Dublin Zoo have moved the majority of their birds indoors as a precautionary measure in accordance with direction from the Department of Agriculture.
Among the bird species that are isolating indoors are the Humboldt penguin, blue-throated macaw, ostrich, citron-crested cockatoo, waldrapp ibis, Chilean flamingo, and Indian runner duck.
The current strain of bird flu — H5N1 — is described as being "highly pathogenic" and has led to the largest ever outbreak in Ireland and the UK.
Due to the virulence and transmissibility of the flu, the decision was taken to isolate the birds indoors to minimise the risk of any outbreaks through contact with other birds.
In Fota, the birds have been indoors for almost a month and are expected to stay there for up to two more months.
Although not ideal, Sean McKeown, Director of Fota Wildlife Park says the birds are coping well with being indoors.
The change is easier for some species than others. For example, when the penguins go through the phase of moulting their feathers, they would not be particularly active anyway. The birds may be kept in until the peak of the bird flu season passes around March but Mr McKeown is hopeful that the small number of cases recently means it will end sooner.
"One of the things that we have done in the past is we have vaccinated our birds and protected them that way," he said.
The immunity offered by the vaccine only lasts a few months but it would provide the opportunity for the birds to be released sooner.
Bird flu is introduced to Ireland when birds migrate south for the winter and Mr McKeown believes there may be a link between climate change and the increased incidence of bird flu.
"The weather is milder when they are making the migrations and they don't exert as much energy so a sick bird could probably complete the journey," he explains, "whereas before it wouldn't have done it."
Avian flu affects domestic bird stock more than those found in Fota and Dublin Zoo but, with bird droppings the most common route for the disease to spread, it is important that contact between birds is reduced as much as possible.
Wild birds and birds of prey are also affected but generally are more resilient to it compared to farmed birds which are often inbred over the years to produce more eggs or meat.
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