Wildlands Zoo closes bird exhibit after virus kills three Crested Ibises

Wildlands Adventure Zoo in Emmen closed part of its park after three Madagaskar crested ibises died this week, with two confirmed to have died from a viral disease, Dutch authorities said. The closure affects the Birdy Bush area and will last three weeks as a precaution until repeated tests confirm the remaining birds are healthy, NOS reports.

The deceased birds’ bodies were sent to Utrecht University for examination after their sudden deaths raised concerns, the zoo said. “Two of the three birds died from a viral disease,” the university’s investigation found.

The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) took samples from other birds in Birdy Bush and from susceptible birds in the park’s Rimbula area. All tested birds are reportedly healthy. The NVWA and the zoo will continue close monitoring in the coming weeks, with follow-up testing before reopening the area to the public.

The closures come amid ongoing concerns over avian influenza, which prompted a nationwide shelter and containment order for poultry in October 2025. Commercially kept birds must remain confined, while hobby or non-commercial risk birds, such as backyard chickens, are required to be shielded.

Meanwhile, in Gelderland, multiple outbreaks have led to mass culling. At a laying hen farm in Putten, the avian influenza was confirmed, resulting in the culling of about 23,000 chickens. Authorities imposed a 10-kilometer transport ban around the farm to prevent further spread; 64 other poultry farms fall within the restricted area.

This outbreak in Putten is the third confirmed in Gelderland this week. Earlier, avian influenza was found at a poultry farm in Neede, where more than 97,000 chickens were culled, and at a farm in Lunteren, resulting in the culling of 34,000 hens. Some farms within the 10-kilometer zone around Putten are also near Lunteren, increasing concern about disease spread.