9 peacocks die of Ranikhet disease over two days in Tharparkar

BADIN: Nine peacocks have died of Ranikhet disease over two days, between Monday and Tuesday, in different villages of Tharparkar.

Officials of the wildlife department have confirmed the incident, saying many peacocks have fallen ill due to the disease in Chalnoor and Bangal Dero villages of Chachro.

According to officials of the wildlife department they cannot vaccinate all the peacocks so they add a medicine in water that is kept in earthenware utensils near the wells. The medicine cures the disease, they have claimed. However, all the peacocks in the district do not drink from those clay utensils.  

On the other hand, people of the villages have said the officials concerned have not taken any step to rid the district of the disease.

The disease that has been plaguing the district time and again since quite a few years has caused the number of peacocks in Tharparkar to decline.

Ranikhet is a disease of domestic and other birds that affects the respiratory and nervous system of the birds, according to an online biology forum. It states the disease causes breathing difficulties and twitching of the head in the birds.