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  The New Paper 1 Nov 05
Don't worry, my birds are very clean
By Tay Shian

Bird flu fears ruffle feathers of neighbours, owners of exotic birds respond

THE house attracts curious passers-by fascinated by the sight of flamingoes strolling in the garden and squawking cockatoos on a perch. It's probably not the best of times to have flamingoes, crown cranes, parrots, hornbills and scarlet ibises in your home, what with the bird blu threat hovering over us.

But the owner of about 50 birds, who lives in a quiet estate in the eastern part of Singapore, is certain his birds are not at risk of contracting the deadly virus.

The businessman in his 50s, who declined to be named, said: 'I don't have a higher risk. In fact, I don't think I have risk at all. My birds are all very clean. Just look at my aviary.'

Most of the birds are in cages, while some like flamingoes are in the open. The birds are cleaned every day, and he hires professionals to clean the aviary twice a day. He carefully controls what the birds eat, and chases away wild birds that fly into his home, to minimise his pets' chances of getting any diseases. He also ensures that no food is left in the open as leftovers attract other birds.

He has been keeping birds for more than 30 years and has not bought any new ones or accepted any additions to his collection for at least the past six years. When his birds die, he sends them to the vet to have them cremated.

'We don't allow anyone to give us new birds. The last time when people wanted to give birds to us, no matter how nice the birds are, we said 'no'.' That's because you can never guarantee that the new birds are clean or disease-free, he said. 'Our side, it's 100 per cent perfect,' he claimed, emphasising time and again on the cleanliness factor.

He added that most migratory birds do not come near his area, but go to other areas of Singapore, like the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, where the conditions are suitable for them to feed and roost.

He may not be worried about the bird flu, but can the same be said about the neighbours?

The New Paper spoke to about eight households in the street. Surprisingly, all but one said they were not worried. One neighbour, a 60-year-old pharmacist who declined to give his name, became concerned when he heard about the 12 birds which dropped dead in Jurong on Friday. He was worried even after the authorities confirmed that the birds died of poisoning, and that Singapore remains free of bird-flu.

But others were not that concerned. Mr Paul Tan, 50, who works in a logistics company, said: 'I know people tend to be concerned, but we must look at the specific situation... I think sometimes we overreact. It's very very clean and well kept. 'I always see him and his gardeners cleaning. He himself does a lot of work. It would be a shame if he's asked to get rid of them because of (fear of bird flu). 'If you use this same argument, then we should also close Jurong BirdPark.' Mr Tan also noted that it is not the number of birds you have, but how well you take care of them.

Down the street, Joelle Ho, 15, said that she wasn't concerned about her neighbour's exotic birds. She was more worried about the many wild sparrows in the area, which leave droppings all over the gates and fences.

When contacted, the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority said it would look into this case if there is a need to.

AVA: S'pore free from bird flu

THE Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) stressed that Singapore is currently free of bird flu, and that disease prevention measures and conditions are already in place. For example, imported ornamental birds can only come from bird flu-free sources, and must be quarantined and tested before being exported to Singapore. They go through another round of checks by AVA when they arrive here.

As for pet poultry like chickens, the risk of them getting infected with bird flu is 'very low'. However, owners can keep only up to 10 poultry, and all must be caged.

Mr Madhavan Kannan, head of AVA's Centre for Animal Welfare and Control, has the following advice for pet owners: Pet owners should keep them in bird-proof enclosures to avoid contact with wild birds. If your pet bird falls sick, call your vet for advice. Separate the healthy from the sick birds if possible. If your pet bird dies, put it in a plastic bag, tie the bag up firmly by knotting it and dispose it with your garbage. If you don't want to keep your birds anymore, don't abandon them. You can surrender them to AVA's Centre for Animal Welfare and Control for euthanasia. The CAWC's hotline is 1800-476-1600.
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Related articles on Global issues: Bird Flu and Global issues: Biodiversity
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