‘Beloved’ harbor seal and Chilean flamingo die of bird flu within day at Illinois zoo

A pair of “amazing animals” — a harbor seal and a Chilean flamingo — have died of bird flu at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Illinois, officials say.

Their deaths came within a day of each other, the Chicago zoo said in a Jan. 15 news release. Teal, a months-old Chilean flamingo, died Jan. 8 and Slater, a 7-year-old harbor seal, died Jan. 9.

“This is sad news for wildlife and for the zoo team,” Dr. Kathyrn Gamble, the zoo’s director of veterinary services, said in a statement. “Not only are we facing the first known cases of HPAI (highly pathogenic avian influenza) in animals in our care, but we’ve lost two amazing animals.”

Zoo officials described the “beloved” Slater as being “rambunctious and curious.” Teal, meanwhile, “was just getting acquainted with her flock” after hatching in the fall, per the release.

Bird flu began rapidly spreading in the United States in recent years, McClatchy News reported. By May 2024, all but two states had reported outbreaks in poultry.

Infections spread to dairy cattle in nine states, and 19 mammal species were also affected, according to a May report from McClatchy.

However, people are not at risk of contracting the virus from zoo animals.

“Because highly pathogenic avian influenza is spread by free-ranging birds, it is no riskier to visit Lincoln Park Zoo than to enjoy a walk outdoors,” Lincoln Park Zoo President and CEO Dr. Megan Ross said in a statement. “The zoo remains a safe place to connect with the animals in our care.”

Zoo officials said its McCormick Bird House will be temporarily closed to the public, and other bird species will be kept “behind the scenes.”