WEST BEND, Wis. — As the bird flu spreads globally, Shalom Wildlife Zoo is taking extra steps to prevent it from harming their bald eagles, swans, and other animals.
Birds living in captivity at Shalom's sanctuary have not contracted avian flu yet.
Co-owner David Fechter has increased cleaning practices and keeps a close eye out for dead geese or wild birds, which are more likely to bring the illness to the pigeons, swans, turkeys, and eagles that call the zoo home.
"Most people do not understand the severity of what bird flu is," he said. "It breaks my heart to see all of these animals going through this. It's a sad thing."
Fechter left their lake frozen to attract fewer geese and migrating flocks to the zoo. He also started feeding their bald eagles meat, rather than letting them hunt smaller birds that might be sick.
"If we don't stop it, it's going to keep mutating into something more serious," he said. "That is my concern."
It's not just avian animals that can contract bird flu; tigers, zebras, and other zoo animals can also get it if they eat a contagious bird.
"We're taking extra caution, especially with the tigers," zookeeper Cassie Loeffler said. "We're wearing gloves, changing our shoe covers when going between each tiger enclosure, and changing our gloves, of course."
Loeffler also wears a mask and only cleans certain cages on a rotation to limit any spread if an animal becomes contagious.
"These animals are really my family and my children," Fechter said. "We care for them every day, we raise them up from young, we know their personalities and they know us."
Shalom Wildlife Zoo opens on April 12. They want people to understand that their new cleaning protocol prepares them to open safely.
Fechter wants people to be aware, but not scared to attend the zoo this year. He also recommends that people keep an eye on their pets and prevent them from consuming dead birds found on the ground.
Watch: Shalom Wildlife Zoo takes extra precautions to protect animals from the bird flu
He also said people can help prevent the spread by picking up dead birds with plastic or garbage bags and throwing them away to be taken to a landfill.
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