NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WPRI) — A harbor seal named Blue at Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford died earlier this month of the bird flu.
The zoo announced Wednesday on social media that a diagnostic test revealed Blue died from complications from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).
Blue was 21 years old at the time of his death. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), harbor seals generally live 25 to 30 years.
The zoo said Blue likely contracted the virus from contact with an infected wild bird.
“Rest assured that there is no risk to BPZOO visitors, and Blue’s habitat-mates, Conway and Luna, remain in good health,” the zoo said. “They were separated from Blue as soon as symptoms appeared, and BPZOO had already taken proactive steps to reduce the risk of HPAI, including removing public duck feeders and relocating vulnerable species in areas behind the scenes.”
In recent years, the bird flu has killed thousands of pinnipeds, a group of mammals that includes seals and sea lions.
In 2022, NOAA declared an Unusual Mortality Event for harbor and gray seals in Maine after more than 150 seals stranded in less than two months. NOAA linked the seals’ deaths to HPAI. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that more than 5,000 agonal sea lions died of the bird flu in Chile in 2023.
Buttonwood Park Zoo said its veterinary team is closely monitoring all of its inhabitants and following “strict protective protocols” to prevent HPAI from spreading further.
