JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli investigators have foundpreliminary signs of bird flu in dead chickens from akindergarten petting zoo, an Agriculture Ministry official saidon Thursday.

"The presence of the H5 strain of bird flu was discovered,"Dr. Shimon Pokamunski, a ministry veterinarian, told IsraelRadio. "The checks have not yet been completed ... For now, weare culling all of the fowl from the kindergarten's cage."

(Editing by Andrew Dobbie)