Pelican deaths at Kokkarebellur: Report rules out avian influenza

It is when birds die from bleeding owing to overload of worms in their stomach

December 09, 2017 10:30 pm | Updated 10:30 pm IST - Mandya

Mandya Karnataka 09_December_2017 : Carcass of the spot-billed Pelican at Kokkare Bellur near Maddur in Mandya district. Four pelicans have died due to ‘verminous petechial hemorrhage’ in the last one week.

Mandya Karnataka 09_December_2017 : Carcass of the spot-billed Pelican at Kokkare Bellur near Maddur in Mandya district. Four pelicans have died due to ‘verminous petechial hemorrhage’ in the last one week.

Reports from the Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary, Biologicals, Bengaluru, have attributed the cause of death of spot-billed pelicans at Kokkarebellur to verminous petechial haemorrhage.

The death of four birds at Kokkarebellur, on the banks of Shimsha, near Maddur recently, had triggered panic among environmentalists and the samples of the carcasses had been sent for tests.

Verminous petechial haemorrhage is a condition where birds die from bleeding owing to the overload of worms in their stomach. The tests also ruled out avian influenza, said L. Prakash, Deputy Director of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services, Mandya.

Speaking to The Hindu on Saturday, the officer added: “All the dead birds were roosting on a single tree. But, it was a coincidence. The department will also test the samples of water and food of birds from nearby waterbodies.” Though the reports ruled out avian influenza, the departments of forest and animal husbandry have intensified surveillance at Kokkarebellur and Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary near Srirangapatna, a forest officer said. Veterinary experts have been monitoring the birds besides collecting bird droppings. Environmentalists, ornithologists and villagers too are monitoring the situation.

While Ranganathittu on the banks of the Cauvery is a natural bird sanctuary, Kokkare Bellur has been attracting pelicans for decades, as the villagers affectionately nurture them.

As all four dead pelicans were roosting on a single tree, the Forest Department is contemplating seeking help of arborists to study the condition of the tree, said sources.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.