Lehigh Valley Zoo’s African penguins pulled off exhibit amid bird flu concerns

NORTH WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. — Lehigh Valley Zoo’s African penguins have been pulled off exhibit, and other bird species have been shuffled, as suspected avian influenza affects wild birds nearby.

“We have already implemented extra biosecurity due to this event,” Sara Koplish, the zoo’s general coordinator, said in a Thursday email.

“We are continually reviewing our protocols for HPAI to maintain the best welfare for our animals while balancing our ability to protect them from this virus.”

HPAI is Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Virus, or bird flu.

This week, state Game Commission officials announced “hundreds” of snow geese at a quarry in Lower Nazareth Township were suspected of bird flu infection.

While the total number is undetermined, officials said they think about 400 snow geese were affected.

The zoo’s barnyard chickens have been moved into the Lorikeet Aviary exhibit, an outdoor space that has a roof so guests can still visit them and they are better protected, Koplish said.

“For our waterfowl, we moved our pair of black swans to an indoor holding space that is out of view of the public, but we were able to move our Egyptian geese into our newest building at the zoo, the Fred and Anne Jaindl Barnyard barn,” she said.

“So the geese will still be visible to guests.”

The penguins will temporarily be in their indoor holding space, she said.

2nd time this year

It’s the second time this year zoo officials have had to make changes because of threats from the virus.

The zoo’s barnyard birds, waterfowl and penguins were pulled off exhibit in early January after200 wild snow geese were found dead of suspected bird flu across the region.

They were back on exhibit in March.

Bird flu is caused by an influenza type A virus and is highly contagious and often fatal in birds.

Clinical signs of infection in wild birds often are non-specific, officials said, but might include neurologic dysfunction such as circling, head tilting and difficulty flying.

Anyone who encounters sick or dead wild birds can report them to the state Game Commission by calling 1-833-PGC-WILD (1-833-742-9453), and any sick or dead domestic birds to the state Department of Agriculture at 717-772-2852.

If residents have contact with sick or dead birds and are not feeling well, they should contact their primary care physician or the state Department of Health at 877-724-3258.