Gkp Zoo's 10-km Radius Under Vigil, Kanpur Zoo to Stay Shut

The area within a 10-km radius of Shaheed Ashfaq Ullah Khan Zoological Park in Gorakhpur, which has witnessed five bird flu-related deaths since March 30, has been placed under intensified surveillance. Even as Kanpur zoo sent 11 samples collected from mammals and birds to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) in Bhopal, said officials.

- HT Correspondents

GORAKHPUR/KANPUR: The area within a 10-km radius of Shaheed Ashfaq Ullah Khan Zoological Park in Gorakhpur, which has witnessed five bird flu-related deaths since March 30, has been placed under intensified surveillance. Even as Kanpur zoo sent 11 samples collected from mammals and birds to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) in Bhopal, said officials.

The death of two crows on Saturday evening and Sunday morning heightened fears of a worsening avian influenza outbreak at the Gorakhpur zoo, which remains closed to visitors until further notice. The Kanpur zoo, home to around 1,350 animals, will also remain closed for another week as a precautionary measure.

Kanpur zoo director Shraddha Yadav said, "All samples collected have reached the Bhopal laboratory. The reports, along with those of water samples, are expected within 48-72 hours." Samples from 90 zoo employees have also been taken; the report on those will come in 48 hours.

Meanwhile, the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) team on Monday began investigating the bird deaths in Gorakhpur.