KATHMANDU, June 20 (Xinhua) -- Nepal's Central Zoo, located in the Kathmandu Valley, has been closed since Friday after bird flu was confirmed in several birds and animals. The zoo, home to a wide variety of wildlife, is one of the valley's major attractions for holidaymakers and tourists.
In a notice issued on Friday, the Central Zoo authority said it had been closed until further notice to protect the health and safety of the general public and visitors after bird flu infections were detected among animals and birds within the zoo premises.
Ganesh Koirala, information officer at the Central Zoo, told Xinhua that more than a dozen birds and a few animals had tested positive for the virus, forcing authorities to temporarily shut down the facility for disinfection.
"Some birds died due to bird flu," he said.
Although human-to-human transmission of bird flu is rare, people involved in the daily care of infected animals and birds are at greater risk of contracting the virus.
The first outbreak of bird flu in the current fiscal year 2025/26 was confirmed on March 18 in Morang district, Koshi Province in eastern Nepal. Since then, at least 55 poultry farms have been affected, according to the Department of Livestock Services under the Ministry of Agriculture, Forest and Environment.
"The increasing number of affected farms in the Kathmandu Valley highlights continuing transmission dynamics and underscores the need for strengthened biosecurity, surveillance, and response interventions," the department said. ■