Canadian Museum of Nature’s Owl Rendez-Vous exhibit temporarily shutters over fear of bird flu
Posted Apr 17, 2022 01:38:00 PM.
With cases of the bird flu confirmed in the Ottawa region, the Canadian Museum of Nature is taking precautions to protect the owls it now houses as part of its permanent Owls Rendez-Vous exhibit.
In an announcement posted to its Instagram on Friday, April 15, the museum said it would be closing the owl exhibit temporarily as it is making moves to ensure the birds’ safety.
“We have proactively moved the birds to a safe place as a temporary measure,” the museum said. “We are working on modifying the bird habitat to ensure the birds’ safety. They will return soon!”
Adding, “The birds’ health is our first priority.”
The year-round Owl Rendez-Vous exhibit opened in July and operates in partnership with Little Ray’s Nature Centre.
Museum visitors can see five live owls — a barn owl, a great horned owl, a Eurasian eagle-owl and two snowy owls — and a bald eagle.
The first case of the avian flu in the area was confirmed in a Canada goose in Ottawa on April 7.
This was followed by another case in a Canada goose confirmed by the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit.
Since then, the Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) confirmed its own case on April 13.
The EOHU did not confirm what type of bird tested positive for the virus.
