Ragunan Zoo reopens, another suspected bird flu patient dies
Ragunan Zoo reopens, another suspected bird flu patient dies
Damar Harsanto and Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Governor Sutiyoso announced on Monday that his administration
planned to reopen Ragunan Zoo in South Jakarta on Tuesday.
"After more than three weeks of close monitoring and testing,
we have found that the animals in the zoo are free of bird flu.
That's why we've decided that it's now safe to reopen the zoo to
the public.
"I myself will reopen the zoo. I want to show people that
there's nothing to be afraid of about visiting Ragunan," Sutiyoso
said.
The central government closed the 140-hectare Ragunan Zoo for
21 days starting Sept. 17 after it was discovered that 19 captive
fowl had bird flu.
Later, Ragunan announced that 36 birds suspected of having
bird flu had been placed in quarantined to prevent them spreading
the virus to other animals.
These birds included peafowl, myna birds, wild duck, pygmy
chickens, eagles, and herons.
Minister of Agriculture Anton Apriyono said at that time that
the zoo should be closed pending the treatment of the infected
animals as well as the examination of all of the approximately
2,100 animals in the zoo, which was established in 1964.
The zoo's promotions and exhibitions director, Titi Saripunto
Rini, said that laboratory checks on the animals at the
veterinary laboratory in Bogor on Sept. 30 and Oct. 5
respectively had shown that all of the quarantined birds were
free of bird flu.
"We guarantee that the zoo is safe for visitors as the
laboratory has confirmed that all of the 2,100 animals in the zoo
are free of bird flu," she said.
Titi said that during the zoo's closure, the 36 birds had
received medical treatment.
She added that all of the 246 Ragunan employees who dealt
directly with the animals had also tested negative for bird flu.
Titi disclosed that the zoo had incurred losses of between Rp
600 million and Rp 700 million due to the forfeiting of 21 days'
gate receipts.
About 500 people visit the zoo every weekday, while around
2,000 people visit on weekend days.
Dozens of people who had visited the zoo reported to the
Sulianti Saroso Infectious Diseases Hospital after the government
announced that birds in the zoo had been infected by avian
influenza.
On Monday, a 50-year-old suspected bird flu patient died after
being treated for several hours in the hospital.
"After examining his lungs, we concluded that he had bird-flu
symptoms. However, we will have to await for the results of the
laboratory tests for confirmation," hospital spokesman Ilham Patu
said.
The latest death has increased to seven the number of patients
who have died in the hospital from suspected bird flu since July.