Bojnice Zoo opens after avian influenza shutdown

Bojnice National Zoo will reopen its gates to visitors on Thursday (March 5) after being closed for 40 days after veterinarians confirmed the occurrence of avian influenza there at the end of January this year. During the quarantine, a stricter operating regime was applied at Bojnice National Zoo due to the biological safety of bird breeding and the protection of workers coming into contact with them. "The accuracy and consistency of the series of measures and safeguards we carried out following the detection of the virus in the zoo prevented the further spread of this viral disease and protected against other species of birds being contaminated," said head zoologist Branislav Tam. The number of birds in the zoo was reduced by 54 after the occurrence of avian influenza and subsequent preventive measures, 11 of which died and 43 were preventively culled.