Cincinnati Zoo moves at-risk birds indoors to protect from avian flu

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden said they have moved some birds indoors to protect them from being infected by avian flu.

The zoo said they are taking this precautionary measure after a new case of avian flu, also known as bird flu, was reported 35 miles from Cincinnati.

“The threat level should diminish after the spring migration. We have established a comprehensive protocol that will guide our decisions on when to return birds to their outdoor spaces” Cincinnati Zoo’s curator of birds and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza task force leader Jenny Gainer said.

Gainer said that none of the zoo’s birds have had symptoms, and she would like to keep it that way.

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Birds moved inside include bald eagles, saddle-billed stork, gray crowned crane, Eurasian eagle owl, barred owl, white-naped pheasant pigeons, Little blue penguins, African penguins, trumpeter swans, kea, vultures, guineafowl, and Andean condors.

Birds of the World habitats “South America” and “Australasia” are also closed to guests until further notice, the zoo said.

The current outbreak of avian flu started on the east coast earlier this year and continued to spread to the west.

The Zoo is open daily at 10 a.m., with early entry for members at 9 a.m.

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