The peacock?s blues
The country?s national bird is vulnerable to the avian flu detected recently in Pakistan
Vikram Jit Singh
Chandigarh
It is altogether a different threat from Pakistan. Taking a serious note on the deaths of peacocks in Pakistan, the Centre has written to all states seeking measures to protect the national bird. The peacock, which is facing a decline in the country, is more vulnerable to the avian flu, and there were reported deaths in Pakistan?s Mansehra district in the North West Frontier Province, followed by the deaths of peacocks at the Marghzar zoo in Islamabad last month.
In a letter to the Chief Wildlife Wardens of all states and union territories, the Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) has drawn their attention to the avian flu outbreak in Pakistan. Significantly, the peacock tops the list of non-poultry birds to be hit by the dreaded h5n1 virus, with the migratory birds being the primary carriers of the disease.
The letter by MoEF Joint Director (Wildlife), Pramod Krishnan states, ?a few cases of avian influenza in peacocks have been reported from Pakistan. Since Pakistan shares borders with India, it is imperative that we maintain utmost vigil against the spread of the virus in our country? you are once again requested to beef up the surveillance against the avian influenza in areas falling within your jurisdiction.? The letter has also been sent to the Union health ministry, department of animal husbandry, the Dehra Dun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WLI), Central Zoo Authority and the regional directorates of the MoEF.
Since February 24, more than 25 birds of different species including peacocks and geese have died at the Islamabad zoo. Reports from Pakistan state that the National Reference Laboratory for Poultry Diseases, Peshawar, had detected the bird flu in the Black Partridge and dead crows in Peshawar, Naushera and Charsadda. The Black Partridge is a wild bird found in both countries, and its number is declining in north India.
Gujarat, Rajasthan and Punjab , all border states, have suffered peacock casualties due to pesticide use and poisoning. Haryana Chief Wildlife Warden RD Jakati told Tehelka, ?The peacock in India is on a decline. Poaching and the use of pesticides were the two main reasons for that in Haryana. We have got all the reported peacock casualties investigated at the Hissar Agricultural University or the WLI. The cause has been poisoning.?
The MoEF has also enforced a ban on importing wild birds from flu-hit countries. ?Since the last one year, we have notified that no wild bird can be imported from a country which was hit by the bird flu,? said Santosh Tewari, Deputy Director, (North Zone), MoEF.
However, wildlife lovers can heave a sigh of relief since, unlike last winter, no avian flu case was found by the Bhopal-based High Security Animal Disease Laboratory (HSADL) in India. ?We have tested thousands of samples this winter including the death cases of migratory birds at the Chilika Lake, Orissa, and Sukhna Lake, Chandigarh. No case of avian flu has been detected,? said Hare Krishna Pradhan, Director, HSADL. ?I do not expect the outbreak of bird flu in this season in India as, in the period of February 1-15 last year, 18 countries had been affected by the bird flu,?? he told Tehelka.
The country?s national bird is vulnerable to the avian flu detected recently in Pakistan
Vikram Jit Singh
Chandigarh
It is altogether a different threat from Pakistan. Taking a serious note on the deaths of peacocks in Pakistan, the Centre has written to all states seeking measures to protect the national bird. The peacock, which is facing a decline in the country, is more vulnerable to the avian flu, and there were reported deaths in Pakistan?s Mansehra district in the North West Frontier Province, followed by the deaths of peacocks at the Marghzar zoo in Islamabad last month.
In a letter to the Chief Wildlife Wardens of all states and union territories, the Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) has drawn their attention to the avian flu outbreak in Pakistan. Significantly, the peacock tops the list of non-poultry birds to be hit by the dreaded h5n1 virus, with the migratory birds being the primary carriers of the disease.
The letter by MoEF Joint Director (Wildlife), Pramod Krishnan states, ?a few cases of avian influenza in peacocks have been reported from Pakistan. Since Pakistan shares borders with India, it is imperative that we maintain utmost vigil against the spread of the virus in our country? you are once again requested to beef up the surveillance against the avian influenza in areas falling within your jurisdiction.? The letter has also been sent to the Union health ministry, department of animal husbandry, the Dehra Dun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WLI), Central Zoo Authority and the regional directorates of the MoEF.
Since February 24, more than 25 birds of different species including peacocks and geese have died at the Islamabad zoo. Reports from Pakistan state that the National Reference Laboratory for Poultry Diseases, Peshawar, had detected the bird flu in the Black Partridge and dead crows in Peshawar, Naushera and Charsadda. The Black Partridge is a wild bird found in both countries, and its number is declining in north India.
Gujarat, Rajasthan and Punjab , all border states, have suffered peacock casualties due to pesticide use and poisoning. Haryana Chief Wildlife Warden RD Jakati told Tehelka, ?The peacock in India is on a decline. Poaching and the use of pesticides were the two main reasons for that in Haryana. We have got all the reported peacock casualties investigated at the Hissar Agricultural University or the WLI. The cause has been poisoning.?
The MoEF has also enforced a ban on importing wild birds from flu-hit countries. ?Since the last one year, we have notified that no wild bird can be imported from a country which was hit by the bird flu,? said Santosh Tewari, Deputy Director, (North Zone), MoEF.
However, wildlife lovers can heave a sigh of relief since, unlike last winter, no avian flu case was found by the Bhopal-based High Security Animal Disease Laboratory (HSADL) in India. ?We have tested thousands of samples this winter including the death cases of migratory birds at the Chilika Lake, Orissa, and Sukhna Lake, Chandigarh. No case of avian flu has been detected,? said Hare Krishna Pradhan, Director, HSADL. ?I do not expect the outbreak of bird flu in this season in India as, in the period of February 1-15 last year, 18 countries had been affected by the bird flu,?? he told Tehelka.