All painted storks fall prey to bird flu at Gwalior zoo

Six more painted storks died between Sunday night and Monday morning at the municipal zoo in Gwalior taking the number of birds which died due to a suspected new sub-type of bird flu at the zoo to 24.
With this, the entire population of painted storks numbering 24 at the civic-run zoo has been wiped out.

All the painted storks were dead, Gwalior Municipal Corporation commissioner Anay Dwivedi said. The remaining 300-odd birds of other species were in good health and the zoo was being disinfected, he said.

Three falcons which shared the enclosure with the painted storks too were fine though they were quarantined after samples of dead painted storks tested positive for H5N8 virus, Dwivedi said. Bodies of dead birds were disposed of with utmost care, he said.

The zoo was closed last week after H5N8 virus infection among the painted storks was confirmed.

Madhya Pradesh Animal Husbandry Director Dr R K Rokde said there was no report of bird deaths from elsewhere in the state. "We are keeping watch across the state," he added.

According to 2012 census, MP had a population of 119 lakh domestic fowls. Dr Rokde said the state had 400-odd private poultry farms and nine government-run ones. A hen had died of bird flu in Burhanpur district of the state in February 2006. Recently, the National Zoological Park in Delhi was shut down temporarily amid bird flu scare following the death of some birds.