Bird enclosures reopen at Mohali’s Chhatbir Zoo

Strict biosecurity measures are being followed to protect the birds, workers and public from the disease

Walk-in aviary and other bird enclosures in Chhatbir zoo, which were closed after bird flu outbreak in some parts of the region, will be reopened for public from Sunday.

The zoo administration has made the decision on the basis of surveillance report, opinion of the animal husbandry department, and report of a state-level committee. (HT file photo)

Strict biosecurity measures are being followed to protect the birds, workers and public from the disease.

The zoo administration has made the decision on the basis of the surveillance report, opinion of the animal husbandry department, and the report of a state-level committee.

During the closure, repair and maintenance works were completed to make them more attractive and safe for visitors.

Chhatbir zoo officials had on January 5 closed the walk-in aviary amid bird flu fears after Himachal Pradesh became the fourth state to confirm an outbreak with 1,800 migratory birds, most of them bar-headed geese, being found dead in the Pong Dam Lake sanctuary and thousands of birds perishing in the poultry hub of Barwala in Haryana.

The closure had come barely after a month when the zoo was reopened for public on December 10. It has been hit financially too, suffering losses of ₹5 crore since it earned revenues of an estimated ₹8 lakh a day before the lockdown.

Authorities say it will take at least six months to recover from the lockdown losses .

Chhatbir zoo, one of the largest in India, is spread over 505 acres of forest area in Mohali and is home to around 1,500 animal and avian species, including five adult tigers and three newborn cubs.