Pairi Daiza launches new vaccination campaign against bird flu.

The African penguins and pelicans have already received their booster jabs.

04/11/2025

On 5 November 2025, Pairi Daiza launched a new vaccination campaign against highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The Ceva Wildlife Research Fund is supporting the campaign by funding research, sharing knowledge and promoting the protection of wildlife and biodiversity.

Since 2021, Europe has regularly been hit by an unprecedented outbreak of bird flu, which also poses a risk to birds in the open-air enclosures of wildlife parks. These animals can become infected through direct or indirect contact with wild birds.

To minimise this risk, Pairi Daiza launched a vaccination programme in 2023 for some of its most vulnerable bird species. Since then, the Park has taken a leading role in monitoring vaccinated animals and has been making an active contribution to scientific research.

As avian influenza viruses are constantly evolving, prevention is a priority worldwide. Initiatives such as this play a crucial role: they enable the close monitoring of vaccinated animals and help to protect species of high conservation value, such as the African penguins, which are listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List.

During the vaccination session on 5 November 2025, 72 birds of three different species were treated:

the black-footed penguin (Spheniscus demersus), recognised by the IUCN as critically endangered;
the African white pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus);
the Australian pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus).

“The welfare and health of our animals are always our top priority. We are proud to be able to continue this vaccination campaign following previous successes. In this way, we are taking an important step towards enabling wild fauna and animals in parks to coexist sustainably,” says Mathias Schneiders, a vet at Pairi Daiza.

The previous vaccination campaigns showed promising results. The Belgian reference laboratory Sciensano carried out the virological and serological analyses, and on the basis of these positive findings, the project is confidently continuing on its successful path.

This campaign marks a new step in the prevention programme. The vaccine used is an improved version, tailored to the strains currently in circulation, based on the expertise of Ceva Santé Animale and the observations made by the vets whilst treating their animals.

“Our scientific and conservation journey began at Pairi Daiza. Three years on, the results show that vaccination is a safe and effective way to protect the most vulnerable birds,” says Pierre-Marie Borne, Director of the Ceva Wildlife Research Fund.

The programme to protect pelicans and African penguins at Pairi Daiza is a wonderful example of successful collaboration. Each partner contributes to the protection of these rare animals: the Ceva Wildlife Research Fund supports the project by funding vaccination campaigns and providing expertise and equipment. The birds at Pairi Daiza, together with their keepers and vets, in turn contribute to research for the benefit of their species.