Bird flu and what it means for your visit

Is Cleland Wildlife Park open?

Yes. Cleland Wildlife Park remains open to visitors. 

You may notice temporary changes during your visit, including closed aviaries and paths, suspended bird feeding and additional biosecurity controls. Please follow onsite signs and staff directions.

Which bird experiences and areas are closed?

The Wetlands Keeper Talk, Garden Dwellers Keeper Talk and Cockatoo Experience are temporarily suspended. 

The Forest, Swamp and Woodland walk-through aviaries are temporarily closed. The aviaries are closed to visitors but may not be empty. Some birds may remain in the aviaries, while individual birds may be moved as required.

Walking paths around the Wetlands area and South Western Paddock are also closed.

These arrangements may change. These temporary measures help protect animals that are more susceptible to H5 bird flu, including threatened and conservation-significant species in Cleland's care.

What remains available?

Cleland is a large wildlife park, and there is still plenty to see and do. Most of the park remains open, including: 
• Dingo, Tasmanian Devil and Koala keeper talks 
• Sunday Reptile Talk 
• Koala Close-Up 
• Other scheduled Koala, Reptile and Echidna experiences 
• General admission and animal viewing outside temporarily closed areas.

Can visitors feed birds?

No. Public bird feeding is temporarily suspended. Please do not feed wild or collection birds during your visit.

What biosecurity measures will visitors encounter?

Visitors may encounter shoe-washing stations in designated areas. Please use these facilities where directed and follow onsite signs and staff instructions. 

Cleaning footwear when travelling between national parks, reserves or farms helps prevent diseases from being spread between places.

What is the risk to visitors?

The current risk of bird flu to people in Australia is low. Visitors should not touch sick or dead birds or other animals and should follow onsite signs and staff directions.

What should I do if I see sick or dead birds or other wildlife?

Avoid. Record. Report.

Avoid contact. Do not touch sick or dead birds or other animals.

Record what you see.

Report it to a Cleland staff member immediately.

Outside Cleland, report multiple sick or dead birds or other animals to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.

Reports are assessed according to the risk of H5 bird flu. Not every report will require testing or collection of animals.

For current South Australian information and advice, visit birdflu.sa.gov.au. 

Bird vaccination program

Why is Cleland vaccinating some birds?

Australia is taking a national approach to the use of vaccinations to protect some of our most vulnerable native birds from H5 bird flu.  A targeted vaccination program has been approved to help protect priority native birds in Cleland’s care from H5 bird flu.

The program includes threatened and conservation-significant species that may be particularly vulnerable to the disease. Vaccination adds another element of preparedness alongside Cleland’s existing biosecurity, surveillance and conservation measures.

Which birds will be vaccinated?

The program will initially include more than 100 birds across in excess of 30 species.

These include critically endangered orange-bellied parrots and regent honeyeaters, along with other native species such as magpie geese, Australian pelicans, regent parrots and red-tailed black cockatoos.

The final number of birds vaccinated may depend on operational , Zoo and Aquarium Association species management programs and animal health and welfare considerations.

How were birds selected for vaccination?

Birds are prioritised using factors including:

• their conservation status and value
• their susceptibility to H5 bird flu
• the potential impact of the disease on the species
• whether they can be vaccinated and monitored safely
• the requirements applying to the use of the vaccine.

Has the vaccination program been approved?

Yes. The program has received the required approvals in line with the national framework supporting targeted vaccination of priority native birds that are captive or managed.

Does the vaccination program mean bird flu has been detected at Cleland?

No. There have been no H5 bird flu detections in animals at Cleland Wildlife Park.

Vaccination and other biosecurity measures at Cleland are precautionary actions to help protect the animals in our care.

Will Cleland close while birds are being vaccinated?

No. Cleland will remain open during the vaccination program. Some keeper talks will be suspended temporarily while staff are focusing on the roll out of the vaccination program. 

Is the vaccine 100 per cent effective?

No. Vaccination may help reduce the severity of H5 bird flu and the risk of death, but it may not prevent infection entirely.

Vaccination is one part of the response and does not replace biosecurity, surveillance or other conservation measures.

Why aren’t all the birds at Cleland being vaccinated?

Vaccination is being targeted to priority species. Decisions to vaccinate take into account the conservation value and vulnerability of each species, its risk from H5 bird flu and whether vaccination can be delivered safely and effectively.

Why can’t all wild birds be vaccinated?

Vaccinating free-living wild birds is difficult and impractical on a broad scale. Birds need to be caught, handled, vaccinated and monitored, and the available vaccine requires a follow-up dose.

Vaccination is therefore being focused on selected priority birds in captive or managed care, where it can be delivered and monitored safely.

What happens after a bird is vaccinated?

Vaccinated birds will be monitored by Cleland’s wildlife care and veterinary teams. The vaccination program may involve further doses and monitoring.