20
migratory birds found dead in Dharamsala
Dharamsala
(Himachal Pradesh): Forest Department authorities
in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, have found the carcasses
of about twenty migratory birds. The dead birds included
18 Bar-headed Goose and two Ruddy Shell Ducks that had
flocked around the Pong Dam for their winter break. While
the specific reasons for their death are yet to be ascertained,
the concerned authorities of Wildlife and Veterinary Department
suspect that either it is a case of bird flu or poisoning.
"We have conducted post-mortem of all these birds. Since
the number was high we had to take two samples. We suspect
that it might be poisoning or it might be a case of bird
flu as well," said Sameer Rastogi, Conservator of Wildlife,
Himachal Pradesh. The authorities have lodged a police
complaint and even registered a First Information Report
(FIR) at the Pong Dam police station. A large number of
avian visitors take their flight to the Dharamshala every
season as temperatures dip and snow falls.
As
per the counting, till January 7, over 1, 14,000 birds
of 74 different species have come to Dharamshala here
this year. Bird 'flu had affected some parts of India,
particularly in the north east region, but there were
no reports from Himachal Pradesh. India has culled millions
of poultry birds (chicken and ducks) to contain the virus
since its first outbreak was reported in 2006. Fortunately,
there were no cases of human infections. Experts have
warned that the H5N1 virus might mutate or combine with
the highly contagious seasonal influenza virus and spark
an epidemic that could kill millions of people across
the world. Although the virus does not infect humans easily,
it continues to pop up in flocks of birds. And the worst
affected regions around the world are located in Asia,
Europe, the Middle East and Africa and on mutation, it
could pass from one person to another. According to the
World Health Organization, H5N1 bird flu has infected
more than 390 people in 15 countries and killed at least
247 of them.
-Jan
25, 2009
Go
To Top
Leading
Indian News Papers
