Nepal is currently grappling with a concerning surge in bird flu cases, prompting authorities to take drastic measures to curb the virus's spread. Since the first reports emerged in mid-March, government officials have been forced to cull over 596,000 chickens and destroy more than a million eggs across 11 districts. The situation is particularly critical in the Kathmandu Valley, where the outbreak has hit hardest, leading officials to shut down the capital's only zoo indefinitely as a precautionary move.

The crisis has deepened due to fears that the H5 strain is being transmitted by wild crows, making containment an uphill battle for livestock services. According to zoo spokesperson Ganesh Koirala, the virus has already claimed the lives of various animals at the facility, including vultures, owls, and civet cats. While this is not the first time the Himalayan nation has battled the avian flu since its initial emergence in 2009, the scale of the current outbreak and the involvement of wild birds have put officials on high alert. Fortunately, no human infections have been reported to date.