OMAHA, Neb. — Several exhibits at a Nebraska zoo were closed indefinitely after a pelican died from avian influenza and a second was euthanized, officials said Friday.
According to a news release from Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium, the Simmons Aviary, Lied Jungle and the Desert Dome will be closed to guests for at least 10 days beginning Saturday.
The rest of the zoo will remain open, according to the release.
The Desert Dome, Lied Jungle and Simmons Aviary will close tomorrow, Oct. 15, for at least 10 days due to a pink-backed pelican death from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. The rest of the Zoo, including Mahoney Kingdoms of the Night, will remain open: https://t.co/VfAfKPiBO0 pic.twitter.com/FVlTPHoEWo
— Omaha's Zoo (@OmahaZoo) October 15, 2022
A pink-backed pelican that died on Thursday tested positive for the highly pathogenic avian flu, the Lincoln Journal Star reported. A second pelican became ill Friday and was euthanized, according to the newspaper.
“It is very important that (the zoo) immediately tighten our protocols to protect our birds and guard against any potential spread of Avian influenza,” Sarah Woodhouse, the zoo’s director of animal health, said in a statement. “As discussed back in the spring, the zoo has a prevention and response plan in place. We were operating at a level 2 response given some recent cases in the western part of Nebraska, but now that we know there are infected wild birds in the area, we have gone immediately to level 5. This is important both to prevent infection of other zoo birds, and to prevent the virus from being dispersed off Zoo grounds.”
Zoo officials said the pelicans lived outdoors and did not have contact with other birds, KETV reported.
There have been 11 reported cases of avian flu in Nebraska this year, WOWT-TV reported.
The Simmons Aviary was previously closed between March 3 and June 23 as a precaution against the flu, zoo officials said in the news release. During that time, none of the birds living at the zoo were infected.
©2022 Cox Media Group
