Skopje Zoo in North Macedonia closed after bird flu case detected

A staff member in protective suit walks inside the closed Skopje Zoo in Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia, Oct. 19, 2024. The main zoo in Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, was closed on Saturday following the confirmation of an H5N1 bird flu case, according to the Food and Veterinary Agency. As a precaution, the zoo will remain closed for 21 days. (Photo by Tomislav Georgiev/Xinhua)
SKOPJE, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) — The main zoo in Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, was closed on Saturday following the confirmation of an H5N1 bird flu case, according to the Food and Veterinary Agency.
In a press statement, the agency revealed that inspectors detected the virus in a goose that had flown into the zoo’s pond from the outside.
“Laboratory results confirmed the presence of a pathogenic strain of the Avian influenza H5N1 virus,” the statement said.
As a precaution, the zoo will remain closed for 21 days. The most recent cases of bird flu in North Macedonia, all involving wild birds, were reported in 2022. ■

An ostrich is pictured inside the closed Skopje Zoo in Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia, Oct. 19, 2024.
The main zoo in Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, was closed on Saturday following the confirmation of an H5N1 bird flu case, according to the Food and Veterinary Agency.
As a precaution, the zoo will remain closed for 21 days. (Photo by Tomislav Georgiev/Xinhua)

Visitors look into the closed Skopje Zoo through gate in Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia, Oct. 19, 2024.
The main zoo in Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, was closed on Saturday following the confirmation of an H5N1 bird flu case, according to the Food and Veterinary Agency.
As a precaution, the zoo will remain closed for 21 days. (Photo by Tomislav Georgiev/Xinhua)