Fota Wildlife Park reopening date set after avian flu closure

Olivia Kelleher

Fota Wildlife Park in Co Cork has confirmed that it will reopen to the public five days before Christmas.

This follows a ten-week closure period to manage an avian influenza outbreak which originated from wild bird populations.

Management at the park has liaised closely with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) to make the reopening on December 20th possible.

This included implementing comprehensive biosecurity protocols and disease control measures.

All birds in Fota Wildlife Park’s population have been tested twice for avian flu. All test results have proved to be negative. The park will continue to maintain its enhanced biosecurity measures and monitoring protocols.

Aileen Tennant, Director, Fota Wildlife Park, said that she was delighted to confirm the reopening of the much-loved tourist attraction.

“Fota Wildlife Park exists to protect rare and endangered species through conservation breeding programmes, research and education. Visitors will once again be able to experience the wonder of seeing some amazing animals in our care such as our Asian lions, cheetahs, Indian rhino and ring-tailed lemurs during the festive season.”

"I would like to thank the expert team at DAFM for their support during the avian influenza outbreak, and to pay tribute to our incredible team whose top priority throughout the closure period has been the ongoing care and welfare of our animal population. Their dedication and commitment to animal care and conservation work has been continuing diligently while we have been closed.”

Ms Tennant also expressed her gratitude for the vital intervention of operational state funding recently announced by the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

“This financial support will secure critical investment in Ireland’s biodiversity infrastructure and allows our dedicated teams to continue with our native species work and international conservation programmes.

"With the countdown to Christmas well underway, we are asking the public to continue their long-standing support for Fota Wildlife Park. Please consider donating, purchasing gift vouchers, sponsoring an animal, or pre-booking your online tickets today. This support will ensure we have the resources to help us maintain world-class care standards and to continue our critical conservation work for years to come.

"The support from our annual pass holders, stakeholders and the public has been overwhelming, and we're deeply grateful for that support.”

For further information, or to donate, go to www.fotawildlife.ie.