'New-castle virus responsible for peacock deaths'

Gurugram: There seems to be a new twist in the death of a large number of peacocks in the city as India Veterinary Research Institute says that new-castle virus is the main cause of death for peacocks. Earlier, heatstroke was believed to be the main cause of death for the national birds.

In what should be considered as a warning, this virus spreads through poultry. Therefore even the city birds may not be safe from this virus. While warning signs to greater measure have yet to be notified by the administration, the process of surveillance in various farms have started. An infected bird may exhibit several signs, including respiratory signs (gasping, coughing), nervous signs (depression, inappetence, muscular tremors, drooping wings, twisting of head and neck, circling, complete paralysis), swelling of the tissues around the eyes and neck, greenish, watery diarrhoea. The virus is spread from the poultry birds.

"The death of peacocks in such a large numbers have been matter of concern for us and we will be taking measures to prevent such death. We have already formed a team that is working hard to prevent any more casualties," said a senior forest official.

For citizens of Gurugram who once got opportunity to live around the Aravallis and green belt areas could only recollect that how there used be constant sights and sounds of peacocks playing around the area. Owing to the rapid development of the city those sights and sounds are long gone. Already diminishing, the decline in population of peacocks has been expedited with the heatwave and now the new-castle virus as cited by the medical experts. In just two weeks, over 50 peacocks have died apparently due to the heatwave. What is even of greater concern that a large number of exotic birds are also being admitted due to sickness owing to the hot weather.

Besides, the virus, another major reason cited for the death of peacocks is the drying of water bodies.

While wildlife officials assure that vital steps are being taken towards the protection of animals, they also conceded that a lot of administrative delays from the higher authorities are causing a delay in implementation.

The city wildlife officials were to collaborate with the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun for implementing the mechanism of wildlife protection in Aravallis. "Apathy of public officials has affected a large part of flora and fauna of Aravallis. When you have a situation in the recent past where hundreds of trees are being cut to make way for a real estate project, the wildlife is surely going to suffer," said SS Oberoi, an environmental activist.