Zoo confinement commitment: ‘This is not good for animal health’

Concerns are growing at children’s farm De Beestenborg in the city now with the number of animals infected with the bird flu virus in the country increasing.

“There was a mandatory reservation two weeks ago,” says Marin, a staff member at the petting zoo. “For us, that means that visitors can’t see or visit the animals. The animals are in their cage. It’s actually like a kind of quarantine. That feels fairly good, because it means our animals can’t come into contact with wild birds that might be carrying the influenza virus.” the birds “.

This is not good for the health of chickens and ducks.
But according to Marin, there’s also a side note: “Our animals, then talking about chickens and ducks, for example, weren’t made to sit in a coop 24 hours a day. It’s not good for their health. They have to go out to the meadows, and they should be able to celebrate life. “. Despite the fact that the animals are currently not visible, this does not lead to questions from the audience: “People understand. Many people have also seen pictures of how disturbing this virus is. We are also very happy that the virus is not infected here yet. I must Than get rid of it immediately.”

Bird flu
Europe is facing the largest outbreak of bird flu ever. The infectious animal disease has been diagnosed in dozens of European countries, and tens of millions of animals have been culled in recent months. Many wild birds are also infected. Last spring the Animal Party faction spoke The municipality of Groningen has all its fears after the discovery of bird flu on a poultry farm in Woltersum. “Bird flu is just a joke that it is not transmissible to humans,” said party leader at the time, Kirsten De Waredy. “Virologists are shivering at what’s going on in nature right now.”

“It has become more dangerous and deadly”
De Weredy: “Bird flu was once a seasonal flu, but now it’s pandemic. It won’t go away, it will stay with us. In addition, the virus has become highly pathogenic, which makes it more dangerous and deadly. It is also becoming more dangerous to people.” At the same time, de Wrede warned of large poultry farms: “The virus originated in such farms in animals that are genetically very weak. The virus is transmitted through this company easily, and it has a lot of room to mutate. “