Thursday 2 August 2012

Peacocks Deaths


KARACHI/MITHI/TANDO JAM: While the local people of Thar Desert have refuted official claims of over 6,000 ailing peacocks being vaccinated, a team of experts from Sindh Agriculture University, Tando Jam also described the provincial wildlife department as incapable to eradicate the viral disease known as ‘Ranikhet’ that has perished over 150 birds so far.

Only three teams consisting of officials of wildlife and animal husbandry departments are visiting the affected areas and distributing medicines among the villagers asking them to administer the same to the peacocks if found suffering from viral disease.

Wildlife Minister Dr Daya Ram Essarani had claimed Tuesday in an official handout that over 6,000 peacocks had so far been vaccinated, which contradicts his own statement in a press conference held in Karachi on Monday that access to thousands of peacocks is impossible, as their population is not concentrated at some particular area and they live in groups in wild bushes at scattered places.

“It is impossible to vaccinate over 6,000 peacocks in just couple of days,” local newsmen, non-governmental organisations activists and other people said. “The reports of more deaths of these beautiful birds are pouring in daily, as the disease has spread to over 20 villages,” they added.

The local journalists, who broke the news of outbreak of disease and deaths of peacocks, alleged that wildlife department’s officials were hiding the facts. “Minister himself tried to hide the fact saying that only 11 peacocks died and 14 were suffering from disease.”

Meanwhile, a team of mobile veterinary extension services unit of Sindh Agriculture University, Tando Jam consisting of Dr Allah Bux Kachhiwal, Dr Abdul Latif and others, submitted its report to the vice chancellor after visiting different villages of Thar Desert including Bhakoyo, Natho, Bhatian Ji Wery, Bakohar etc. The team had taken bones, feathers and other remains of dead peacocks to the laboratory to diagnose the disease.

According to its observations, the ailing peacocks lose their energy to fly or even walk and fall down due to weakness. The ailing weak birds also fall prey to wild animals. The symptoms of the disease include cough at the initial stage and then shrinking of veins that results in severe pain in neck, attack of paralysis, swelling of eyes and diarrhea.

The team claimed that more deaths of peacocks were only due to delay in vaccination, attacks on ailing weak birds by wild animals and trapping in thorny wild bushes.

They experts suggested that the dead birds should immediately be buried so that the disease doesn’t spread to other areas. They said the disease affected the peacocks at Village Bhattian Ji Wery first and then spread to the others. ppi
Courtesy Dailytimes

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