ABOUT  245 pelican chicks and two dozen adult pelicans have died from H5N1 bird flu in a Mauritanian national park bordering an area in northern Senegal that was hit by the virus, Mauritania's environment ministry has announced. The birds' bodies were discovered in Diawling National Park's protected wetlands, which sit on the Mauritanian side of the Senegal river delta and host over 250 species of birds. In response to the outbreak, the authorities have closed the park and suspended all tourism activities in the area, the ministry said in a statement. The deaths follow the discovery on Jan. 23 of…