Nepal zoo bird flu outbreak raises alarm for national parks
KATHMANDU — In the village of Pithauli, on the edge of Nepal’s Chitwan National Park, a safe feeding site for critically endangered vultures has long been hailed as a success story by conservationists. For visitors, the feeding site, also known as a “vulture restaurant”, provides a rare photo op for tourists: As white-rumped vultures (Gyps […]
In Pithauli, a village near Nepal's Chitwan National Park, a successful feeding site for critically endangered vultures has alarmed conservationists. Known as a "vulture restaurant," the site attracts white-rumped and slender-billed vultures, which feast on carcasses laid out by locals, alongside rhinos, jackals, wild boars and crows. However, ornithologist Rajendra Suwal warns that an infected bird could spread disease to other birds or animals, raising concerns about the potential for bird flu outbreak.
The fear of bird flu spread was triggered by a recent outbreak in Kathmandu's Central Zoo, where at least 65 animals and birds across 20 species perished between mid-June and late July. The NTNC, the zoo's managing body, suspects two sources for the outbreak: feral crows roosting in open-topped aviary enclosures for birds, and carnivores feeding on chicken meat provided by the zoo. A sarus crane at the zoo was among the fatalities.
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