The Toronto Zoo is closing its walk-through bird aviaries in the pavilions after avian influenza was found in a Southern Ontario commercial poultry farm nearby.
The action comes as a precaution to protect the birds in their care, and to ensure the health and safety of their animals.
“While this strain of the disease is highly contagious and lethal to birds, it is important to note there have been no human cases detected in Canada,” the zoo said in a news release on Wednesday.
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As of Thursday,the bird aviaries will be closed to guests or will be significantly modified to protect the birds, and behind-the-scenes tours of animal food preparation and bird housing areas will be suspended.
For zoo staff, members will be required to use footbaths and dedicated area boot changes when entering any bird aviary/exhibit and staff back entrances to all buildings housing birds. The use of poultry as food items for all zoo animals will also be temporarily discontinued, and programs to keep wild birds off the site will be intensified, including minimizing access to manure bins on-site.
According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), 757,000 birds have been affected by avian flu in Ontario so far.
