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St James's Park warns not to feed pelicans due to bird flu

BBC Four pelicans on a bench in St James's ParkBBC
The birds are currently being fed away from public view

Visitors to St James's Park are being urged not to feed or touch wildlife after a human case of bird flu in south-west England.

The public is also being asked to report any sick or dead birds.

Six healthy pelicans were moved to Duck Island on the edge of the central London park as a precaution in November, the Royal Parks said.

Isla, Tiffany, Gargi, Sun, Moon and Star were moved after a suggestion from the Animal and Plant Health Agency.

Matthew Chattle/Barcroft Media via Getty Images Pelican wrapping its break around a jogger's legMatthew Chattle/Barcroft Media via Getty Images
The park's pelicans are sociable creatures

"We hope that they will be back out and about preening themselves by the lake, soon," the Royal Parks said about its squadron of pelicans, which are comfortable around humans.

The birds were already being fed away from public view due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The UK has recently experienced a large number of incidents of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza in birds across the country.

Human to human transmission of bird flu is very rare, however.