SAN ANTONIO – The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department released this press release just days ago.
The release mentions that several black vultures at Landa Park in New Braunfels were tested and that those “preliminary tests have confirmed Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).”
The TPWD wasn’t available for an interview, but the agency told KSAT that black vultures and three waterfowl of unknown species tested positive for HPAI.
KSAT also contacted the San Antonio Zoo about their preventative measures.
“We’ve actually had protocols in place for many years to prepare for this possibility,” Dr. Tarah Hadley said.
Hadley has been with the San Antonio Zoo for years and is currently the senior director of veterinary care.
“We’re remaining very vigilant, keeping an eye out for anything that may look like it might be sick,” Hadley said. “We have not had any issues at all.”
The latest infection was near San Antonio, and the SA Zoo has more than 10,000 animals. Therefore, the zoo’s staff is making sure they are ready if any infectious disease were to infiltrate their property.
“There’s still a lot of information that needs to be learned about other animals besides birds that can be infected,” Dr. Hadley said. “If we do need to take precautions, we’ve got masks, gloves, and things like that that we can wear to protect our staff.”
Dr. Hadley also said that daily testing is unnecessary but that they are prepared if bird flu becomes common enough in San Antonio to keep their birds, animals, staff and visitors safe.
The Centers for Disease Control has documented 68 cases of bird flu in humans in the U.S. so far in 2025, which is still considered a low-risk to the public, according to the agency’s website.
The CDC said there aren’t any known cases of person-to-person spread.
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