Vandalur Zoo near Chennai will remain closed to visitors on October 22 and 23 after bird flu was confirmed among aquatic birds at the facility, with the administration planning cage cleaning, site-wide sanitisation and biosecurity measures.
The closure follows the deaths of several aquatic birds at the Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Vandalur from late September and the beginning of October. Samples from the dead birds were sent for examination to the National High Security Animal Diseases Institute in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
According to the report received by the zoo administration, the birds died from bird flu infection. The diagnosis prompted the zoo to restrict visitor access while preventive measures are carried out across the facility.
The planned work includes cleaning the enclosures used by birds, sanitising the zoo premises and implementing biosecurity procedures. The administration said visitors would not be allowed into the zoo during the two-day period to enable these operations.
The development places animal health controls at the centre of operations at one of Chennai’s major public attractions. Vandalur Zoo houses a range of animals and birds, while the affected group comprises aquatic birds whose deaths were recorded over a period of several days before laboratory testing confirmed the infection.
The report does not specify the number of birds that died, the particular species affected, or whether any infection has been detected among other animals at the zoo. It also does not state when visitor access will resume after the cleaning and biosecurity work. The immediate action announced by the administration is the two-day closure and preventive treatment of the enclosures and premises.
