Sindh Minister for Wildlife Dayaram Esarani has said the veterinarians will control the disease which has spread among the peacocks in Tharparker during the next 15 days. “We have brought in the teams of experts from Sukkur and Hyderabad. They will set up camps across the district and cure the ailing birds,” he told a press conference in Mithi on Thursday. According to the minister, at least nine peacocks had died and 12 were sick and under treatment in Thar.
However, he agreed with the reporters who questioned that the actual figure of the dead peacocks was very high as the minister said that the department had only counted those birds whose corpses they had seen.
He informed that the birds had been suffering from Ranikhet viral in addition to deficiency of vitamin and minerals adding that the vets had brought medicines which also include vaccinations, antibiotics and supplements for giving to the birds. The minister told that he was taking efforts to declare peacock a provincial bird and in this regard he was pursuing the matter in the Sindh Assembly.
Esarani also announced that a natural park would be established in Karoonjhar mountainous area in Nangarparker tehsil at a cost of Rs290 million. “The park will survey the wildlife and bring better care for them,” he said adding that the survey to figure out the wildlife population would soon be launched in Thar.
In reply to a question about the rampant killings of antelopes in Thar and issuance of permits to the hunters, the minister clarified that the Wildlife Department did not have the authority to grant permits for the game of deer hunting. “Only the chief minister can issue the permits,” he added. Accompanied by the Deputy Commissioner of Thar Makhdoom Shakeeluzaman, Chief Conservator of Sindh Wildlife Department Saeed Akhtar Baloch and other officials, the minister later visited the villages where the deaths of peacocks were reported.
Meanwhile, Forest and Wildlife Department Secretary Mushtaq Ali Memon Thursday chaired a meeting to ascertain the causes of mortality of wild peacocks in Tharparkar.
The meeting was attended by livestock and poultry experts, wildlife experts and Dr Baz Muhammad Junejo, a renowned livestock expert. The meeting was informed by the experts that the cases of mortality of wild peacocks, are not due to any human intervention or laxity on the part of Wildlife Department or for that mater Livestock Department but it is due to starvation, deficiency of wood and safe water due to delayed monsoon which resulted to stress and weakness in the wild population. It was informed that wild peacocks become susceptible to bacterial and fungal attack, which further suppressed the immunity of the birds that paved the room for viral attack of Newcastle Diseases Virus (NDV) vernacularly famous as Rani Khait. And so far, 9 peacocks have been found dead, two treated and released whereas one is under treatment. The meeting was further informed that a large quantity of vaccine which is enough to vaccinate 30,000 birds supplied by livestock department is being served to peacock population while safe and fresh water was being supplied through clay baked in the affected areas. The meeting also set up “Save Peacock” committee comprising Livestock and Wildlife experts to monitor the day to day interventions being taken for safety of peacock. It is was also decided in meeting that watering points – Tarai, and ponds shall be treated with line to eradicate fungus contamination and segregation of infested specimens and safe burial of the Caracas is to be ensured.
