'Uncertain and worrying time': Concern at Fota as positive bird flu cases shut park

Four birds have tested positive for bird flu at Fota Wildlife Park, in what the park’s director has described as “an extremely uncertain and worrying time”.

A spokesperson for the park said that following confirmed cases of bird flu at Fota Wildlife Park, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has suspended public access to the park until further notice.

At this stage, four confirmed cases of unvaccinated birds have tested positive for H5N1 at the park, they said, adding that the team has a robust zoonotic disease prevention and response programme in place, which includes a well-established avian influenza vaccination programme for the birds in its care.

“The safety of all staff, and the welfare of the animals in the care of the Fota Wildlife Park team, remains paramount during this time,” they added.

Aileen Tennant, Fota Wildlife Park’s director, said: “This is an extremely uncertain and worrying time for all of us at Fota Wildlife Park. We are working closely with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and remain focused on the care and welfare of our team and the wildlife in the park.”

“We are very grateful for the outpouring of support from members of the public, visitors, annual pass holders, as well as from our partners and international colleagues. I am conscious that this is a complex and dynamic situation, and we will continue to work closely under the department’s guidance, with a focus on getting to the stage where the park can reopen when it is safe to do so.”

The spokesperson explained Fota Wildlife Park is a not-for-profit organisation, with a 100 acre footprint, which relies on support from the public and visitors to the park to carry out its core mission of conservation, education, and the protection of endangered species.

“With average weekly operational costs of approximately €120,000, the closure of Fota Wildlife Park has a significant impact on its ability to generate revenue,” they added.

Meanwhile, a poultry farmer who is based near Fota Wildlife Park has expressed concern that bird flu will spread to his flock via migratory birds.

In an interview with RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, farmer Richard Fitzsimmons said that it is a “stressful time” for him as turkeys are their big business in the run up to Christmas: “If God forbid, we did get it [bird flu], it would financially destroy the business. We are living in the flight path between Ballintubber and Rostellan and migratory birds fly over us daily.

“And it’s just a worrying time that turkeys could pick up this in H5N1, and if they do, first of all, it would be very serious for the welfare of the birds, obviously, and second of all, financially.”

He said their turkeys are currently inside. They are doing everything they can to keep them virus free. He added he has been advised by officials not to leave the turkeys outside.

He said: “I suppose for the greater population of poultry farmers, I would like to see action being taken in a housing order and definitely if it gets any worse, we do need to be very aware and get an exclusion zone because it’s our livelihoods. Basically, we’re doing everything we can. We’ve disinfected the doors, the traffic in and out of the premises is at a minimum. So, we’re doing our best.”

Mr Fitzsimmons added that it will be hard to contain bird flu in Ireland.