FOTA WILDLIFE PARK in Co Cork has reopened following a ten-week closure to manage an avian influenza outbreak which originated from wild bird populations.

The closure of the popular tourist attraction was a huge blow as it costs well over €100,000 a week to run and normally attracts around 430,000 visitors a year.  

Some 73 birds were culled and tight restrictions were put in place. 

In October, the wildlife park euthanised some of its Greylag Goose population following eleven confirmed cases of H5N1 Avian Influenza.

The park reopened its gate to visitors at 9.30am today, with staff being “incredibly excited” to welcome “dearly missed families” onsite.

Fota Wildlife Park Director Aileen Tennant told Virgin Media News it was a challenging period for staff onsite.

“It (the bird flu) was a shock for us all. It was very difficult to hear that any of the animals were unwell. When we realised we would be closed we didn’t know if it would be for days, weeks or months.

“We had to keep our birds away from the wild population which was a challenge as we have a lot of bird species here.

“And sadly we had to make a lot of hard decisions —one of them being euthanasia which was one way to protect the overall population.”

Tennant says that they have a “very successful” vaccination programme for birds in the park.

“None of the birds which were vaccinated tested positive (for Avian flu) which is positive for us.

“We are also focusing on building new aviaries for the birds and we have already started plans for a more permanent aviary structure so that the public can see them.”

Management at the park have expressed gratitude for the support of the public during their temporary closure which enabled them to continue delivering on their conservation mission.

Meanwhile, two meerkat pups were born to mother Biggy and father, Snaggle, on 16 October in the early stages of the closure of the park.
The young meerkats have been “very active” exploring their habitat whilst animal care continued diligently behind closed doors.

During the closure staff at the park worked closely with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine implementing comprehensive biosecurity protocols and disease control measures.

The park will continue to maintain its enhanced biosecurity measures and monitoring protocols.

Fota Wildlife Park is home to over a hundred animal species, many of which are endangered or at risk of extinction in the wild. 

The park actively participates in European Endangered Species Programmes for species such as the Asian lion, Indian rhino, Northern cheetah, and red panda.

It collaborates with zoological organisations across Europe and the UK under the guidance of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria.

The park first opened to the public in June 1983.