Morung Express News
November 13
JALUKIE: Although government agencies and some health experts have taken up concerted efforts against the shooting down of migratory birds, ignorant villagers living in and around the Jalukie Valley continue the senseless killing of the bird known to locals as Tinhai which is believed to be from Falcon family.
According to avid shooters, the birds flock in thousands and rest in large groups and as such are vulnerable prey which can be shot or trapped easily at night. Despite the ban, the bird is a delicacy among the villagers and even finds its way to local markets and even to the state capital and big towns like Dimapur which fetch them a handsome amount. However, alarmed with the bird flu, some people view the present scenario of such birds being shot as a threat. The ignorant villagers require well informed knowledge to prevent them from unabated killing of the bird.
Meanwhile, an official team of the wild life wing of the Manipur forest department found a migratory bird dead near a fish farm in Loktak lake triggering fear amongst official circles that bird flu could be brought to Manipur by migratory birds coming during winter.
The body of a bird species called cormorant was found near a fish farm at Narambung village on the periphery of the Keibul Lamjao national park during a survey by an official team from the wild life wing of the forest department in Loktak lake, which is home to thousands of migratory birds coming from Asian and European countries every year in winter. Following instructions from the Centre, the State Veterinary & Animal Husbandry department has been fully alerted on possible spread of the avian influenza in the state by the visiting birds. As a precautionary measure the department and forest department are fanning out teams to areas where the birds haunt, particularly Loktak lake and Barak area in Tamenglong district. An official source said the wildlife officials collected the dead cormorant for laboratory testing to confirm the cause of death. Reports said the fishermen of Loktak also found two other dead bodies of migratory birds a few days back. The officials in the wild life wing of the forest department said all the district forest officers have been alerted.
The wild life wing appealed to all the people in Loktak surrounding areas and also the Barak river banks not to kill migratory birds. They warned that killing and eating of a migratory bird affected by the avian influenza could spread the virus to humans. They also asked the villagers not to take any carcass home if they found them. The animal husbandry department will be sending the carcass to a laboratory in Bhopal for testing. The veterinary department has already collected blood samples of domestic poultries and tested them. The results are negative, they said.
Official sources said that the state government was fully prepared to meet with any eventuality. An animal disease control committee has also been constituted. However, they clarified that there is no case of bird flu in Manipur so far.
(With inputs from Newmai News Network)
