The Sultanpur National Park has been shut for a week after 47 birds, mostly Eurasian coots, were found dead inside the sanctuary.
The park management said the dead birds were discovered on Saturday and sent for avian flu tests, though they didn’t show signs of an H5NI infection. They believe the deaths were caused by pesticides in crops but decided to close the park immediately as a precautionary measure.
District forest officer (wildlife) K S Khetkar said, “Prima facie, the deaths seem to have happened after the birds ate pesticide-infested crops at a nearby field. They move in flocks, which is why the entire group of birds died at once. In case of bird flu, birds develop red spots in their legs. None of the birds that died had these spots.”
Of the 47 birds found dead, 36 were Eurasian coots, nine common moorhen, one spot-billed duck and one jungle babbler. Khetkar said a team of doctors had examined the carcasses on Saturday after which they were sent to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal for avian flu tests. The report is expected within a week.
A senior park official said, “In the recent past, we have never encountered deaths of such high magnitude. Natural deaths do occur here but they are two or three in number.” He added that a team from the Bombay Natural History Society — an NGO working engaged in conservation and biodiversity research — had also examined the dead birds and didn’t find any symptoms of avian flu.
When this TOI correspondent reached the park on Sunday, scores of visitors were seen returning from the gates. The authorities had put up a notice that said the park would remain closed for seven days. The notice did not explain the reason behind the closure, but said it was being done for the “security of birds”.
Last month, an H5N1 infection was confirmed in one of the 30 geese that died at the Sukhna lake in Chandigarh.
