GORAKHPUR, July 8 -- After 53 days of closure due to concerns over bird flu, the Shaheed Ashfaq Ullah Khan Zoological Park in Gorakhpur is all set to reopen to the public from Tuesday, zoo officials confirmed. The zoo has remained shut since May 13

The decision comes following the latest negative test reports of all samples sent to the National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal, and subsequent approval from the government on July 7.

Zoo director Vikas Yadav said a total of 72 samples were sent to NISHAD in phases. The lab reports confirmed negative results for avian influenza in all samples.

The zoo was temporarily closed after a strain of bird flu was confirmed during the postmortem examination of tigress Sha...