The Berlin Zoo remains closed until further notice after the discovery of a dead bird with the bird flu virus. This was announced by a spokeswoman on Saturday on request. It is not yet clear how long the closure will last. The “Tagesspiegel” reported that it was assumed to be several weeks.
The zoo is currently getting an overview of the exact location, the spokeswoman said in an email to the German Press Agency. The 86 birds that had recently been in contact with the infected animal were tested first. Now another 200 birds followed without direct contact, which were looked after by the same animal keepers.
Aquarium and zoo open
“We are hoping for the first results in the middle of next week,” said the spokeswoman. As soon as the first results are available, the zoo will comment. The aquarium and Tierpark Berlin remained open.
The zoo area in City West was closed to visitors and cleared on Friday. The bird flu infection had previously been confirmed in a hammer head, a wader about 50 centimeters tall, who died on Sunday.
“A precautionary closure of the entire zoo grounds is an important step in this situation, until we have a better overview of the situation,” said the Senate Department for Consumer Protection on Friday. The primary goal is to prevent the spread of avian influenza.
Deadly danger for many birds
The so-called avian influenza is known as bird flu or avian influenza. The virus behind it is called H5N1. So far, it has only been linked to infections in humans in isolated cases. However, it can easily spread in bird populations – for them it is a mortal danger.
According to the Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI), not all bird species are equally affected – pigeons seem to be less susceptible. However, in principle, different mammals could also become infected.
According to the institute, zoos in Germany have already been closed due to bird flu. This is one of the “initial measures” in a case in a zoo, it said.
