Sevilla’s iconic Parque de María Luisa was forced to close suddenly on Thursday morning after a bird flu outbreak, with runners, cyclists, horse-drawn carriages and tourists evacuated on the spot.
But just hours after the park reopened, four dead birds were found inside, raising fresh concerns about the spread of avian influenza.
The City Council announced on Friday evening that the park had reopened ‘after applying all the measures of the avian flu protocol, supervised by the Junta de Andalucía.’
Yet by Saturday morning, municipal staff reported the discovery of a duck, a pigeon and two ducklings dead within the grounds.
No full closure, for now
Despite the new findings, officials say a full shutdown of the park is not planned.
‘The regional protocol allows for partial closures,’ City Hall said, explaining that access around the lakes has now been fenced off as a precaution to avoid closing the entire park again.
Evelia Rincon, Sevilla’s delegate for Parks and Gardens, stressed earlier in the week that the outbreak remains ‘an animal health issue, not a human health one,’ and that decisions on reopening are dictated by the regional Agriculture and Health departments.
Tourists caught in uncertainty
Parque de Maria Luisa is one of Sevilla’s top attractions, adjoining Plaza de España and drawing thousands of visitors daily.
For now, the park remains open but under watch. Whether more closures follow will depend on what regional inspectors find in the coming days as Andalucia battles a wave of bird flu cases that has already forced the closure of other major attractions, including the Alcazar gardens.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
