National Zoo fears for birds
The Star, 24 Feb 2006

KUALA LUMPUR: While an extensive bio-security net has been thrown around the National Zoo, the birds in the aviary remained vulnerable to the avian flu infection through the droppings of free-flying storks. 

Zoo director Dr Mohamad Ngah explained that the dropping might fall through the roof of the aviary and infect the birds. 

The aviary houses the endangered milky storks. 

Dr Mohamad said the zoo had taken steps to protect the birds from other possible means of infection. 

“We followed the protocol for protecting the birds, from asking visitors to walk on antiseptic carpets to

spraying the tires of vehicles with disinfectant,” said Dr Mohamad. 

“But this (infection through the droppings of the birds) is our greatest fear.”  

Of the free-flying storks, the painted stork, which number about 300 in the country, has been spotted as far away as Putrajaya, Bangi and Kajang.  

Other birds that worry Dr Mohamad are crows, which land on the emus and peck their backs, sometimes taking out chunks of meat.  

When asked if there was a drop in the number of visitors, he said it was too early to tell, adding that a tally of this weekend's crowd numbers would be a better gauge of the situation.  

However, the zoo would continue holding bird shows featuring macaws. 

“They are safe as the precautions we have taken are enough and there is a pond separating the visitors from the birds and their handlers,” he said. 

In Malacca, the state zoo has closed its aviary, with150 types of birds, until further notice.  

Zoo director Mohd Nawayai Yasak said the precautionary measure was to ensure that the birds were not infected, as the facility had visitors from all over the country. 

The zoo has also taken measures such as disinfecting the shoes of visitors.