Precautionary step taken due to fear of bird flu outbreak

The Sultanpur National Park, a bird sanctuary on Gurgaon-Farrukhnagar Road, has been shut down after nearly 40 birds were found dead inside on Saturday, triggering fears of bird flu.

“More than 40 birds, mostly coots, which are migratory birds, were found dead inside the sanctuary on Saturday morning. Following this, a team of veterinarians from the Animal Husbandry Department took blood samples. We have decided to shut down the sanctuary as precautionary measure,” said District Forest Officer K.S. Khatkar.

The seasonal wetland attracts around 200 species of migratory birds from as far as Europe, Siberia and Central Asia, besides being an important refuge for several insects, amphibians, reptiles and mammals. A large number of bird enthusiasts and wildlife photographers visit it every year between October and March.

Mr. Khatkar maintained that most birds that died were seed-eating birds and probably fed on seeds sprayed with pesticides. He said the possibility of bird flu seemed remote.

“Prima facie, the Animal Husbandry team has found that the dead birds did not show signs of bird flu. However, samples will be sent to a laboratory in Bhopal to rule out bird flu completely,” Mr. Khatkar added.

More than 100 ducks were culled at Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh a month ago after a duck found dead in the lake tested positive for H5N1 (avian virus). The bird flu scare then spread across Haryana after crows were found dead in Pinjore and Jagadhari and 10 migratory bar-headed geese were reported dead in the plains of Jind.

In the wake of reports about bird deaths across Haryana, the Forest Department has hired flying trappers to take blood samples of birds in the national park. The report on the samples is still awaited.

Meanwhile, several bird enthusiasts who reached the park on Sunday were disappointed to find it closed.

“I have come from Delhi with my family. My children were very excited to see the birds. It is a huge disappointment for us,” said Anil Kumar, a resident of Rohini Sector 18.

The visitors were miffed over the manner in which the park was closed without any prior information.

“People from far-off places come to visit the national park and will be disappointed to find it closed. It would have saved me both time and money had the administration disseminated information about its closure through the media,” said Noida resident Rakesh Yadav.