Suspected bird flu case closes Paignton Zoo

Paignton Zoo said its main priority was to protect its birds

A zoo has been closed in Devon due a suspected case of bird flu.

Paignton Zoo was shut after a dead pelican was found on Sunday and bosses said they were awaiting test results to see if it was the highly infectious H5N1 strain.

Staff said their priority was to protect birds and minimise the spread of the infection.

The zoo is expected to remain shut on Tuesday and staff said anyone who had booked a visit would be refunded.

In a post on Facebook, bosses wrote: "We know this will lead to great disappointment to those of you who had planned to visit and we are truly sorry.

"Our main priority at this time is to protect our birds, and, as a conservation charity, we are working with the [government's] Animal and Plant Health Agency and complying with their requirements in order to minimise the spread of this viral infection."

At-risk species

Zoo chief executive Dennis Flynn said an official restriction notice to close was put in place by the Animal and Plant Health Agency as soon as the zoo notified it of the bird's death.

He said: "We are losing a lot of money by having to stay closed, and we're not government-funded.

"But we're also a conservation organisation and we have to protect the at-risk species that we hold here."

He said test results should be back quickly, but the zoo was not expecting to be open on Tuesday.

"We'll let people know as soon as we get more information," Mr Flynn added.

The H5N1 strain of the avian influenza virus is highly contagious among birds, and spread by close contact with an infected bird, whether it is dead or alive.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' website said the virus was "primarily a disease of birds and the risk to the general public's health is very low".

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