200 peacocks die in Thar due to intense heat

ISLAMABAD: As many as 200 peacocks died in the Thar area in the current summer season due to intense heat and a disease called ‘Ranikhet’. The officials of the wildlife department claim that their teams pay visit to the affected area every week but could not found any signs of the disease among the magnificently plumed fowl.
According to conservationists, six more peacocks have died in Nagarparkar thus rising the number of deaths to almost 200 in the Thar area during the current summer season.They claimed that four to six peacocks are dying every week due to ‘Ranikhet’ in different areas including Nagarparker, Islamkot, Mithi, Diplo, Chachro and Karoonjhar.
The local people also pointed out that the main reason of the viral disease ‘Ranikhet’ are the hens that spread among other avian including peacocks and it could only be controlled unless it is eradicated from where it originates.
“No team from Wildlife department has visited the area for last couple of years despite the fact that some 200 to 300 peacocks die every year during the summer season due to various diseases,” the residents of Nagarparker said.
An official report stated that the disease known as “Ranikhet’ hit Thar and six other districts every year where some 70,000 peacocks show off their jewel colored plumage to catch eye of the onlookers.
Some other sources said that intense heat and lack of potable water and food are also the reasons for the disease and the wildlife department lacks the ability and means to contain the viral disease that is killing peacocks.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Hindu minority present in the Thar area is also associated with the efforts to protect peacocks against weather and diseases because they consider peacock as a sacred specie.When contacted, Sindh Minister for Wildlife Giyan Chand told The News that their teams pay visit to the affected areas on weekly basis and no signs of the disease ‘Ranikhet’ was found anywhere in Thar.
“The intense heat wave is the major cause of deaths among the peacocks because they lose their immune system and become vulnerable to the changing weather patterns,” he said.The provincial minister said the wildlife department teams are actively working to vaccinate the peacock population against the diseases besides providing multi-vitamin medicines to the ailing peacocks.
He also stated that a number of peacocks also complete their lifespan every year so their natural deaths should not be bracketed with other deaths that occur due to diseases or other reasons.