National Zoo to introduce restrictions to prevent spread of foot-and-mouth disease

While the live virus has not been detected in Australia, zoos are on high alert over an outbreak in Indonesia, including holiday hotspot Bali.

The native animal and deer walkthrough enclosures will be temporarily closed or cordoned off to visitors in Canberra, with the risk of foot-and-mouth disease to kangaroos currently unclear.

Zoo staff in Canberra will ask people who've recently visited Bali or Indonesia to postpone their visit to the zoo for 48 hours after returning home.

The same restrictions apply to anyone who has visited a rural or farm setting in any country, including Australia.

Anyone who has visited after being on a farm has been asked to thoroughly clean the footwear they wear to the zoo and use sanitation mats upon entry.

Russell Jackson, Executive Manager at the National Zoo and Aquarium, said the zoo is acting to minimise the risk to animals in the event the disease is already here and yet to be detected.

He said the precautionary measures ensured preparations were in place for further restrictions should the virus be detected on Australian shores.

Mr Jackson said in the event foot-and-mouth spreads to Australia the zoo will institute far more stringent and wide-sweeping restrictions and protocols.

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He said this could include the cessation of various tours and encounters, restrictions on visitation areas as well as partial closures of sections of the zoo in and around where susceptible species are housed.

"We hope this will never be required, but we are making preparations and exercising an abundance of caution in the event it does enter Australia," he said.

While there have been some calls from the federal opposition to close Australian borders to prevent the spread of the disease, the decision to keep them open has been largely supported by the agriculture industry.

Labor Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said the government has come down hard to improve biosecurity since the outbreak.

"This government has done more on biosecurity in nine weeks than that government did in nine years," Mr Watt told Parliament on Thursday.