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Workers at a world-famous Dorset wildlife centre are coming to terms with the death of 80 swans in a bird flu outbreak.
Since late December, 80 swans have died at Abbotsbury Swannery near Weymouth.
Abbotsbury Tourism general manager John Houston said: “It’s been really tough on the staff here. The deaths have been very sad for us all.”
The tourist attraction is closed for the winter and its plans to reopen in March are not affected, Mr Houston said.
Mr Houston said that the welfare of the birds and of Swannery staff was a top priority.
He said: “Cases of avian flu have been reported in wild birds in Europe and in a number of locations across the UK.
“The current H5N8 strain of bird flu is of very low risk to public health and has never transferred to humans, but the well being of the swans and other birds that visit the Swannery is paramount.
“The Swannery is currently closed to the public for the winter and is not due to reopen until March. Current access to the site is therefore restricted to staff members only.
“We are closely monitoring the health of the swans and our staff are taking all necessary precautionary measures as advised.”
There were initially nine cases of avian flu reported at the Swannery.
The news comes soon after a dead wild pigeon tested positive for the H5N8 strain of the disease in Somerset in late December.
Courtesy of somersetlive.co.uk
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