Peacocks dance to death in Thar

 A report prepared by the veterinarians of Sindh Agricultural University points out that the Sindh Wildlife Department lacks the ability and means to contain the viral disease which is killing Thar Peacocks.
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 A villager carries dead peacocks near an ailing peacock at Buphohar village in Thar desert, on Wednesday. Dozens of wild peacocks have died suddenly in Sindh, prompting experts to fear an outbreak of the highly contagious Newcastle disease.


 The doctors visited the villages where the highest numbers of deaths were reported from. Till now more than 110 peacocks have died due to the spread of Newcastle Disease (Ranikhet) in Thar and six other districts of Sindh according to the unofficial figures.

Five more peacocks died in the area on Wednesday.
“The Sindh Wildlife Department does not have the means to control the disease immediately,” says the report which was submitted to the university’s vice chancellor. It has been prepared by Dr Allah Bux Kachewal, Dr Abudl Latif Bhutto and others, says the university press release.

“Most of the dying peacocks can be saved if they are given the medicines on time,” say the doctors.
They emphasise that while the cause of deaths of the peacocks has been ascertained, there is a need is to take immediate steps to contain the disease.

 A total of 80 peacocks were found dead in Tharparkar district of Sindh earlier this month. The disease is now reported to have spread to neighboring villages and cities of Sindh.

Places like Mitthi, Nangarhar and Diplo have reported scores of Peacock deaths in the past week.
Sindh Wildlife officials have announced that necessary medical aid will be provided to farmers who own domesticated Peacocks. Sindh Wildlife has also dispatched two teams consisting of 5 doctors each, to the affected areas in order to control the spread of "Ranikhet" and avoid further peacock casualties.
However, the locals claim that lack of proper vaccination is costing them heavily as scores of Peacocks are dying everyday.

 There are approximately seventy thousand (70,000) Peacocks in Tharparkar district alone and the Wildlife department appears to have failed in ensuring their safekeeping, while on the other hand, Wildlife department officials claim that the vaccination process has been started at high priority and the eradication of this disease will be completed soon.
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