Strong suspicion of bird flu: part of the Domaine des Oiseaux closed to the public in Ariège
Through Angelique Passebosc
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Mazères Bird Estate will it be forced to close its doors to the public in the coming days? If the threat hovers, it’s not relevant at the moment. “We have to wait for the results of the analyzes and the definitive decree from the prefecture”, informs the mayor of Mazères, Louis Marette.
For the moment, only part of the nature reserve, located on the borders of the departments of Haute-Garonne and Ariège, is off-limits to visitors, reassures the elected official. in question ? The suspicion of avian flu – or bird flu – on the site, which prompted the prefect of Ariège, Sylvie Feucherto take two orders, Friday 20 January 2023.
The birds of the confined discovery farm
It all starts with a macabre discovery made in the middle of last week by the teams on the site.
We found one of our three dead swans. It can happen, but the next day there was a second one. We then called a vet to perform autopsies. And even if it hasn’t been confirmed yet, there would be, according to him, strong signs of bird flu. We will have confirmation in the next few days.
As a precaution, the last birds still free – the remaining swan and barnacle geese – are confined. “Most of the birds are already under the nets, explains the chosen one. We have simply extended this measure, blocking access with barriers the discovery farm. »
Four dead birds
The competent authorities are sent to the site – the services of the prefecture and the gendarmerie, among others – to carry out the usual surveys. “Samples were also taken from about twenty ducks”, reports Louis Marette. Before specifying: “We only have about thirty. It is not a farm, just a few specimens to present each species to visitors. »
In total, the Domaine des Oiseaux represents the loss of two swans, a barnacle goose and a wild goose. A phenomenon that has therefore led the Prefecture to issue two decrees which establish that “a temporary regulated area (ZRT) of 3 km […] on the territory of the municipalities of Mazères and Saverdun”.
Closed to the public “A quarter” of the Estate
On the site of the Ariège prefecture, Internet users can even read that “access to the Domaine des Oiseaux de Mazères is prohibited to the public until further notice in order toavoid spreading the virus through excrement and dirty floors that can cling to shoes or paws of pets.
But the mayor of Mazères wants to be reassuring on this point:
Indeed, we feared the complete closure of the Domaine des Oiseaux. But in the end all that remained was to increase the protection zone around the educational farm. Today only a quarter of the estate is closed to the public. Visitors can walk around the site, visit our museums and enjoy the restaurant and rooms without any problems. We currently have between 1,500 and 2,000 birds here!
Waiting for test results
However, the city councilor remains cautious about the turn events could take. “You always have to imagine the worst,” he says. The order placed on Friday is temporary. So let’s wait test results that should tell us which avian flu virus it is. New measures will be taken according to its danger. »
Waiting, farm discovery remains closed until further notice.
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