ONE of the Thar desert’s most beautiful denizens, the peacock, is in the throes of a deadly epidemic, while officials who should be striving to do all they can to prevent the disease from claiming more victims have, it seems, buried their heads in the sand. Although no proper surveys have been carried out, it is estimated that the region is home to an estimated 30,000 peafowl. In recent weeks, there have been several news reports about these birds being felled by Newcastle disease, a viral contagion known locally as Ranikhet. So far about 50 deaths have been reported, 19 on Wednesday alone in the Diplo area of Thar. This is not a new phenomenon. The disease has killed over 300 peafowl in the last two years. And that’s only the number of recorded deaths; the actual figures could be much higher give that the peafowl population is scattered over a vast area.
Regrettably, despite these dire reports, the local wildlife department has gone into denial mode that borders on the farcical and is attributing the fatalities to high summer temperatures even though the birds have been perishing on this scale only since 2011. Last year, moreover, tests had confirmed Newcastle disease as the cause of death. Tackling this problem urgently for reasons of conservation aside, it is also important to consider that the affliction is an avian disease that can also infect poultry and then jump species to infect humans, although it is not fatal in the latter case. While there is no treatment for the disease, vaccination can reduce the frquency of outbreaks and officials must make arrangements to vaccinate as many of the birds as possible in the most affected areas. Acknowledging the problem would be the first step in this direction.