GORAKHPUR, June 22 -- The reopening of Shaheed Ashfaq Ullah Khan Zoological Park (Gorakhpur Zoo) is likely to be delayed further, as samples from 13 more animals have been sent for bird flu testing.

The samples were dispatched on Sunday to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) in Bhopal and the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) in Bareilly.

Gorakhpur Zoo deputy director Dr Yogesh Pratap Singh confirmed that some animals were showing signs of illness, prompting the latest round of testing. He stated that the zoo would remain closed to visitors until all test reports returned negative.

Earlier on Friday (June 21), a second round of testing involving 72 animal samples had returned negative results from...