Unnatural death of 47 migratory birds force closure of Sultanpur National Park

#SultanpurNationalPark #Eurasiancoots #Avianflu #SukhnaLake The unnatural death of 47 migratory birds in Sultanpur National Park has forced it to be closed down for at least one week – most of the birds were Eurasian coots and were found dead inside the sanctuary. The dead birds have been sent for avian flu tests.
The breakup of the dead birds is 36 Eurasian coots, nine common moorhen, one spot-billed duck and one jungle babbler. It seems they have not shown signs of any H5N1 infection and, in the opinion of District forest officer (wildlife) K S Khetkar it is believed that the deaths were a result of pesticides in crops and the park has been closed as a precautionary measure.
He has explained that the birds could have eaten pesticide-infested crops at a nearby field and, since they move about in flocks, the entire group has died at one go. If they had died due to bird flu, they would have developed red spots in their legs and no such evidence was visible.
Moreover, a specialist team from the Bombay Natural History Society — an NGO working engaged in conservation and biodiversity research — had also examined the dead birds and they also have not discovered any symptoms of avian flu. Incidentally, last month, an H5N1 infection was confirmed in one of the 30 geese that died at the Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh.