Fota Wildlife Park in Cork has confirmed it will reopen in time for Christmas after a ten-week closure due to an outbreak of avian flu originating from wild birds.
The closure has cost the park more than €1 million in expenditure and lost revenue.
Director Aileen Tennant said she was “delighted to confirm” the park will reopen on December 20th following an outbreak of avian flu among some of the birds in the park in October.
Fota Wildlife Park closed as a precautionary measure on October 14th due to an outbreak of avian flu among the park’s Greylag geese, which form part of its bird collection, which comprises 21 species and 168 individuals.
RM Block
Ms Tennant confirmed Fota had carried out measures to prevent the spread of avian flu from wild birds to its captive bird population.
Fota euthanised 73 birds as this was the only option to maintain the highest standards of animal welfare for the remaining birds and minimise the transmission of the virus within the park, she said
Among the birds that had to be euthanised were Greyleg Geese, Peafowl, Guinea Fowl and Mandarin Ducks while a further 83 birds have been separated from the wild bird population and isolated or housed in temporary aviaries.
Among the species that were separated from the wild bird population were Ostriches, Chilean Flamingos, Humboldt Penguins, Pelicans, White Tailed Sea Eagles, Blue Throated Macaws, Mandarin Ducks and several types of geese.
Ms Tennant said that by working closely with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), the measures have worked as all the birds in Fota Wildlife Park’s population have been tested twice for avian influenza with all test results negative.
“I would like to thank the expert team at DAFM for their support during the avian influenza outbreak, and to pay tribute to our incredible team whose top priority throughout the closure period has been the ongoing care and welfare of our animal population,” she said.
Ms Tennant added that Fota was also “very grateful to the National Parks and Wildlife Service for providing operational State funding during the closure”.
Fota has operational running costs of €120,000 a week, which together with lost visitor revenue during the ten-week closure meant the park incurred debts of well over €1 million.
Ms Tennant urged people to continue to support Fota Wildlife Park, which is a registered conservation charity, in the run-up to Christmas by donating, purchasing gift vouchers, sponsoring an animal or prebooking online tickets.
People can visit www.fotawildlife.ie to make a donation, buy a voucher or purchase an online ticket. Alternatively, people can sponsor an animal species by calling the team on 021-4812678.
