ROYAL OAK (WWJ) - Officials for the Detroit Zoo are taking precautious to ensure birds around the wildlife park stay healthy and safe against a deadly new virus that has now spread to Michigan.
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The Detroit Zoological Society (DZS) announced on Friday that all birds — including the park's flamingos, ostrich, cassowary, sandhill cranes, all birds within the Matilda R. Wilson Free-Flight Aviary and peafowl who wander the grounds — will be sheltered indoors as a safeguard against the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).
The first case of HPAI was identified in Michigan after a backyard flock of poultry in Kalamazoo County tested positive for the highly contagious virus, officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) confirmed on Thursday.
While it is unsure how the non-commercial flock came down with the disease, officials said avian influenza can spread in a variety of ways. Contact with wild birds, contaminated caretaker clothing and equipment can all transmit the disease from flock to flock.
Cases of similar infections have been on the rise in other states across the U.S. in the last couple of weeks.
The DZS said the majority of the zoo's birds will be moved inside effective immediately and will remain indoors as long as health officials think it is necessary.
"This is an important preventative measure,” said Dr. Ann Duncan, director of animal health for the DZS. “By bringing these animals indoors, we can more closely monitor them and prevent contact with wild birds who may be carriers of HPAI.”
The DZS executive director and CEO, Dr. Hayley Murphy, acknowledged visitors will miss the experience of seeing the zoo's birds up close, but said the health of their animals comes before all else.
“The animals and their needs are always our top priority,” Murphy said. “...Despite this temporary change, we hope to see you at the Zoo. It is only with your support that we can fulfill our mission of protecting and preserving the lives of the animals in our care.”
Murphy said other attractions will remain accessible and guests can still experience the newly-opened Polk Penguin Conservation Center.
To check on the latest Detroit Zoo updates, guests can call 248-541-5717 or visit detroitzoo.org.
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