TOKYO, Jan. 31 (UPI) -- An outbreak of bird flu has caused the cancellation of dozens of events at zoos and aquariums across Japan, officials said.
Officials were also concerned about how to protect the Japanese crested ibis, which has been designated a national treasure, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported Monday.
The Osaka Aquarium canceled its weekend "Penguin Parade," which attracts about 1,000 people each Saturday and Sunday to see seven king penguins walking along a 210-foot mat.
"We consider it imperative to prevent the infection from spreading first and foremost," an aquarium official said.
Officials at a conservation center for ibises in Sado were worried about an outbreak of bird flu among 130 of the wading birds. The mesh on top of a cage that holds about 30 ibises is large enough to allow small birds, such as sparrows, to pass through.
Authorities have also canceled non-animal events to help prevent the bird flu from spreading.
Officials confirmed that chickens at a poultry farm in Izumi were infected with the virus and the city canceled a marathon scheduled for mid-February. Part of the race is run through a wintering place for migratory cranes. UPI
