The Milwaukee County Zoo has closed its Herb and Nada Mahler Family Aviary as a precautionary measure against avian influenza risks, the zoo announced on Thursday.
The aviary will be closed “for the foreseeable future” to protect the zoo’s birds from the avian flu, according to the announcement. The closure comes “out of an abundance of caution” after hundreds of dead birds have washed up on the Chicago shores of Lake Michigan, the zoo said.
According to NBC Chicago reporting, ducks, red-breasted mergansers and Canada geese have washed up on Chicago’s shoreline this week, and officials believe the birds died from the avian flu.
The Milwaukee County Zoo previously closed the Herb and Nada Mahler Family Aviary, which houses the zoo’s popular penguin exhibit, due to avian flu risks from spring to mid-summer in 2022.
“The Zoo will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available,” the zoo said.
