SOUTH OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) – Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo closed the Simmons Aviary Dec. 15, now more precautions are being taken to protect the animals as Avian Influenza cases rise.
- The zoo closed the aviary Dec. 15 to mitigate the risks of Avian Influenza
- 20 big cats at a sanctuary in Washington State died from Avian Influenza over the last month
- The zoo is closely watching the animals food sources to make sure nothing is contaminated
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo closed the Simmons Aviary due to bird flu in Nebraska and surrounding states.
After 20 big cats died from the bird flu at a sanctuary in Washington, the zoo is taking more precautions to keep their animals safe.
As the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza cases continue to rise, the zoo is putting protocols in place to mitigate the risks and protect its animals.
"Avian Influenza is something that has been around for a really long time, so we have really good protocols in place that we enact at different levels to mitigate our risks and protect our animals,” said Taylor yaw, director of animal health.
One of the precautions the zoo took was temporarily closing the aviary.
“Our guests can still walk on the outside of it we do have some bird species that we determined are on a lower risk for avian influenza so you can still see some of the birds,” Yaw said.
But the birds aren't the only ones at risk.
Over the last month, Avian Influenza that was potentially spread through contaminated meat or respiratory secretions passed through infected birds, killed 20 big cats at a sanctuary in Washington state.
The zoo is working with its veterinarians, nutrition department and animal professionals to determine the best action to take to keep the all animals healthy, including closely watching food sources for big cats and other animals at the zoo to make sure there is no contaminated meat, Yaw said.
"We are looking at those food sources and making sure we know where those food sources are coming from and whether or not they are at a high risk for avian influenza,” Yaw said.
The zoo is closely watching the animals and will take further action if needed, according to Yaw.
The aviary will continue to be closed until further notice.
