More peacocks' deaths reported from Thar villages

Posted on 11 months ago

MITHI (PPI): The mysterious disease among peacocks, found in abundance in Thar Desert of Sindh, which has caused death of a large number of birds, couldn't be controlled so far despite hectic efforts of wildlife department officials, as reports of more deaths are pouring in.
Some villagers from a nearby village 'Borli Moosepoto' visited local press club on Wednesday and informed the journalists that around 15 to 20 peacocks have died in a month and many more are suffering from disease. Similarly, a peacock died in Mithi town and another at village Nathro.
According to villagers no official of wildlife department has so far visited their area. The newsmen immediately informed the officials who rushed to that area.
This way over 60 peacocks have died so far while according to local people of Thar Desert including NGO activists and media persons five to ten peacocks are perished daily by the disease. The number of dead birds could be high, as they live in bushes and trees away from human settlements, and are found perished only when the villagers go for collecting firewood.
The peacocks are not found in whole of Thar Desert, as the arid strip of desert, stretching for over 200km from Mithi to Nagarparkar, having wild bushes and other plantation that gets greener during the rains, is the natural habitat of peacocks.
The bones, feathers and other remains of peacock were seen scattered at different places when a team of wildlife department officials and media men visited the village Bapohar and some other villages a few days after they learnt about outbreak of disease. The team had found three peacocks in critical condition, which were brought for treatment to Mithi, the headquarter town of Tharparkar District.
Lajpat Sharma, an official of wildlife department, told that the disease is curable and the condition of three birds is stable. The laboratory tests are also being carried out to ascertain the disease.
Sharma said medicines would be distributed among the villagers in Thar so that they can treat the peacocks if found suffering from disease.
Ashfaque Memon, Game Officer of wildlife department, told that the three peacocks would be released after they fully recover, as they can survive only in natural conditions.


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