The health and welfare of our birds is our priority at this time
In the late days of August 2022, Paignton Zoo in Devon closed its gates after a pelican tested positive for avian influenza — a disease that had been quietly tightening its grip across Britain's bird populations all year. The Animal and Plant Health Agency issued a formal restriction notice, suspending all visits until at least September 1st while investigators worked to understand the scope of the outbreak. It is a moment that speaks to the fragile covenant between human institutions and the natural world they seek to protect: even a place built to shelter animals can become a place where illness must be contained.
- A confirmed bird flu diagnosis in a zoo pelican triggered an immediate, non-negotiable closure of the entire Paignton Zoo facility.
- The shutdown rippled outward fast — families with planned visits faced cancelled trips, and staff scrambled to process automatic refunds and rebooking options.
- The closure landed against a grim national backdrop: Devon had already seen a commercial poultry farm culled and recorded the UK's first human avian flu case earlier in the year.
- Zoo keepers and veterinary staff shifted into full biosecurity mode, racing to quarantine and protect the rest of the bird collection from further spread.
- Rather than frustration, the zoo's community responded with an outpouring of support — visitors donated entrance fees, and one child quarantined his toy flamingos at home in solidarity.
- Reopening remains entirely contingent on APHA lifting its restriction notice, with the investigation's findings still pending and the outcome uncertain.
Paignton Zoo closed its doors on Tuesday after laboratory results confirmed that a pelican in its care had contracted avian influenza. The positive test, returned by the Animal and Plant Health Agency, triggered an immediate restriction notice — a formal order that left no room for exceptions. The zoo would remain shut until at least September 1st, with reopening dependent entirely on APHA's findings and the revocation of that notice.
The closure moved quickly through the zoo's operations. Visitor services staff began contacting everyone with advance bookings, committing to automatic refunds while also arranging rebooking options for those who preferred to reschedule. The zoo's leadership acknowledged the disruption plainly — families had made plans, and those plans were now suspended.
What followed, though, was unexpected. Instead of frustration, Paignton Zoo's social media filled with warmth. One visitor described how her grandson, a devoted flamingo fan, had taken it upon himself to quarantine his toy flamingos at home out of concern for the real birds. Another visitor, unable to rebook until the following month, told the zoo to keep his entrance fee for the animals' care. Staff were offered encouragement from people who understood the weight of what they were managing.
The weight was real. Avian influenza had been spreading across Britain throughout the year, hitting wild and captive bird populations alike. Devon had already absorbed hard blows: a commercial poultry farm near Dartington had culled its entire flock in July, and earlier in the year a man from Buckfastleigh had become the first person in the UK to contract a strain of avian flu after his ducks died in December. The disease was no longer distant — it was regional, present, and pressing.
For the zoo, the timing carried a particular sting. It had already weathered Covid closures and storm damage in recent years. Now its keepers were focused entirely on biosecurity and quarantine measures, working to prevent the infection from spreading further through the bird collection. Until APHA lifted its restriction notice, the zoo would stay closed — its only priority the health of the animals still in its care.
Paignton Zoo shuttered its gates on Tuesday after laboratory tests confirmed what staff had feared: a pelican in their care had contracted avian influenza. The positive result came back from the Animal and Plant Health Agency, the government body responsible for animal health in England, and it set in motion an immediate lockdown of the entire facility.
The zoo had been operating under heightened alert for days, working closely with APHA officials and their veterinarians to investigate the suspected case. Once the diagnosis was confirmed, a formal restriction notice was issued—the kind of order that leaves no room for negotiation. The zoo would remain closed until at least Thursday, September 1st, pending further investigation and the agency's determination of when it would be safe to reopen. No visitors would be admitted. No exceptions.
The closure rippled outward quickly. Paignton's visitor services team began the work of contacting everyone who had booked tickets during the shutdown window. The zoo committed to refunding all advance purchases automatically, though staff acknowledged the scramble to process those refunds as quickly as possible. For those who preferred to reschedule, rebooking options were being arranged. The zoo's leadership understood the frustration—families had planned trips, made arrangements, carved out time. Now those plans were suspended indefinitely.
What emerged in the hours after the announcement, though, was something unexpected. Rather than anger or recrimination, Paignton Zoo's Facebook page filled with messages of support and understanding from visitors and members. A woman named Pam Dormand wrote that she had visited on Friday with her grandson Alfie, who loved flamingos so much he had even quarantined his toy flamingos at home out of concern for the birds. Keith Taylor, who had booked a visit but couldn't make it until next month, told the zoo to keep his entrance fee and use it for the animals' care instead. Others offered encouragement—thinking of the staff during a stressful time, hoping for good outcomes, promising to return when it was safe.
The broader context made the closure feel particularly heavy. Avian influenza had surged dramatically across the country over the past year, striking both wild bird populations and captive collections. In July, a commercial poultry farm in the Dartington area had been forced to cull its entire flock after bird flu was detected. Earlier in the year, a man named Alan Gosling from Buckfastleigh became the first person in the United Kingdom to contract a strain of avian flu; his ducks had died in late December, and his whole flock had subsequently been destroyed. The disease was no longer a distant threat—it was present in Devon, in the region, in the animals people kept and cared for.
For Paignton Zoo, the timing felt particularly cruel. One visitor's message captured the accumulated weight: the facility had already endured Covid-related closures, storm damage in recent years, and now this. The zoo's keepers and maintenance teams were working tirelessly to implement biosecurity and quarantine measures, trying to protect the rest of the bird collection from further spread. The investigation would determine what came next—whether the outbreak could be contained, whether other animals had been exposed, when normal operations might resume.
Until APHA revoked the restriction notice, the zoo would remain closed. The public was urged to check the website and social media for updates before attempting to visit. The outcome, for now, remained uncertain. What was clear was that the zoo's priority had shifted entirely: the health and welfare of the birds in their care had become the only measure that mattered.
Citas Notables
We are unable to come until next month. We only had this two-day window in Paignton. Please don't return our entrance fee, keep it and put it towards the upkeep of the zoo.— Keith Taylor, visitor
The health and welfare of our bird collection is our priority at this time, and our keeper and maintenance teams are working tirelessly to ensure their safety.— Paignton Zoo statement
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does a single bird testing positive shut down an entire zoo?
Because avian influenza spreads fast and can devastate a whole collection. Once one bird tests positive, you have to assume others may be infected or exposed. The restriction notice from APHA isn't punishment—it's a firewall.
But the zoo had been investigating before the test came back. What changed when they got the positive result?
Suspicion becomes certainty. Before, they were implementing precautions. After, they're operating under a legal order. It's the difference between being careful and being locked down.
The messages from visitors seem almost grateful for the closure. Why would people support losing their money?
Because they understand the stakes. These aren't abstract birds—they're animals people have visited, watched, connected with. When you see a child quarantine her toy flamingo out of worry, you understand that people care more about the animals' survival than their own refund.
You mentioned this has happened before in Devon. Is this becoming routine?
Not routine, but no longer shocking. The surge in bird flu cases this year has made it feel like a new normal. A commercial farm culled its flock in July. A man got infected himself. It's circling closer.
What happens if the zoo can't reopen soon?
That's the question no one wants to answer yet. The staff are working on it, but the timeline depends entirely on what APHA finds in their investigation. The zoo is hoping, but hoping isn't a plan.