Birds at Saskatoon zoo in quarantine due to avian influenza fears

Birds at Saskatoon’s Forestry Farm and Zoo are going to spend most of their summer indoors, away from the public.

The birds have been off-exhibit since March 31. The City of Saskatoon confirmed in an email that the birds won’t be returning to the public eye “for the foreseeable future.”

Zoo operations manager Jeff Mitchell said that might not happen until as late as August or September at the earliest.

The move was reportedly done in consultations with the zoo’s veterinarians. Birds — including bald eagles, snowy owls, a barn owl, great horned owl and red-tail hawk — have been moved to a “secure facility” to undergo a sort of months-long quarantine.

Mitchell said that facility has its own filtration system and the hope is to prevent the birds from becoming sick with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). It’s transmitted by migratory birds.

This year’s avian flu is more serious than the previous major outbreak that occurred in 2007, according to Mitchell. When the zoo first heard avian flu was active this year and headed for Canada, Mitchell said zoo officials decided to take significant precautions to keep the Forestry Farm’s bird collection safe and healthy.

“Avian influenza is a very scary disease for birds,” Mitchell explained, adding the mortality rate from the disease is between 65 and 85 per cent for birds. “I think we’ve made the right decision.”
Because the flu is passed along through contact with wild birds who are infected or with fecal matter, Mitchell said moving birds inside and away from any other birds was the safest option.

The zoo is taking the situation very seriously.

“Animal health and welfare is one of our highest priorities,” Mitchell said. “People health and welfare always comes first but then our animals are very, very close.”

He said the birds have been transitioning over the past month from being outside all the time to spending their days exclusively indoors. During that time, all birds have been tested and Mitchell said none has been found to be infected.

Currently, they’re working to keep the birds’ spirits up and keep them as healthy and happy as possible.

“Our keeper staff is working with them to keep them mentally stimulated in the back area, giving them some types of puzzles and boxes to rip open to get to their food items and prey items,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell said the birds are doing “really, really well.”

“The zoo will continue to monitor the situation and consult with our veterinary team regarding the health and safety of our birds,” a statement on the city’s zoo webpage stated.

The webpage also reported the zoo has appropriate facilities to house the birds until they can safely return to their exhibits. Mitchell said after consulting with the veterinarians, the zoo won’t be returning the birds until 90 days after the last positive avian influenza case is identified in Saskatchewan.

A few zoogoers have voiced disappointment that the birds have been put away for the season, but Mitchell said generally, visitors have been very understanding about the precautions being taken to keep the birds healthy.

“We really have appreciated that from the public,” Mitchell said.

Offering a word of caution, Mitchell warned people against touching any dead birds with their bare hands at this time. With a case of the avian flu having been contracted by one person in the U.S. in late April, Mitchell recommended people visit the Government of Saskatchewan website for safety protocols to protect them against the disease.

The risk to humans, however, remains low.