Bird flu scare: Death of a tigress lead to closure of zoos in Uttar Pradesh

[Commonground]

May 17, 2025 03:23 AM IST

Excerpt:

Till now, only two animal samples have confirmed bird flu, that of the tigress and the lion. Samples of forest staff and other zoo animals have been sent to the National Institute of High Security Animal Disease, Bhopal.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/lucknow-news/bird-flu-tiger-reserves-wildlife-sanctuaries-in-uttar-pradesh-on-alert-101747423260898.html

[Commonground]

May 17, 2025
Test report confirms bird flu as cause of lion Pataudi’s death

Kanpur: The test report of lion Pataudi, who died at Kanpur Zoo on Thursday, has confirmed H5N1 (avian influenza) infection, commonly known as bird flu, as the cause of death.

Pataudi, a 15-year-old Asiatic lion, was shifted from Gorakhpur to Kanpur Zoo on May 11 for treatment after a tigress, Shakti, died there on May 7. She was also found to be suffering from bird flu after which an alert was sounded across the state.

After the report from the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) in Bhopal confirmed bird flu, surveillance has been heightened in the zoo. In view of the concerns regarding the spread of infection, the carcass was cremated in an electric crematorium with the entire process being videotaped.
After Pataudi's death, a peacock was also found dead on the zoo premises, leading to increased monitoring.

Forest ranger Naved Ikram said that Pataudi's samples were sent to NIHSAD, Bhopal, and the report, which arrived late Thursday night, confirmed H5N1. Additional samples were being sent to NIHSAD for further investigation.
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"Special attention is being paid to the remaining big cats in the zoo and the sources of their food and water sources are being carefully monitored. Birds' section has been placed under heightened observation following the peacock's death," an official said.

A detailed report of Pataudi's case history has been shared with other zoos across India as a preventive measure.

continued: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/.../121217092.cms

[Commonground]

May 17, 2025
Bird Flu scare in UP: Over 200 samples from Gorakhpur zoo, poultry farms sent for testing

More than 200 samples, including 39 from the Gorakhpur zoological park and 169 from poultry farms across the district, have been sent to laboratories for examination as part of a large testing drive following confirmation of bird flu in a tigress that died at the zoo last week, officials said.

The test reports of three other animals, including a wolf and a leopard, that died in the zoo this month are still awaited. So is the report of a lion that died at the Kanpur zoological park on Thursday.

Sanitisation of the Gorakhpur zoo, officially known as Shaheed Ashfaqullah Khan Zoological Park, and all poultry farms in the district is underway, it is learnt.
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Directions have also been issued to restrict the entry of outsiders to all poultry farms in the district. The workers of poultry farms were advised to enter the farms only after getting themselves properly sanitised besides adopting other measures.

The district has a total of 248 small and large poultry farms.


According to the zoo authorities, 35 samples of animals were sent to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, while four were sent to the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Bareilly.

The zoo houses nearly 300 animals.

“Fresh samples from other animals were sent for testing. Among the fresh samples collected are of two cows that died on Thursday,” said zoo’s Veterinary Officer Dr Yogesh Pratap Singh.
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Forest Department officials suspect that migratory birds are likely to be the carriers of the infection, as no cases of bird flu have been reported outside the zoo so far. There are several water bodies in the area where migratory birds gather, they pointed out.

The authorities may extend the closure of the zoo beyond the initial one-week period.

Continued: https://indianexpress.com/article/ci...ting-10011511/