More crows drop dead

Devalghati Moja (Pinjore): Six more crows were found dead in the catchment area of Kaushalya dam near Panchkula on Sunday even as the Haryana wildlife and animal husbandry departments exhumed one of the graves of crows here and rushed five carcasses to the Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (RDDL), Jalandhar, to test for bird flu. A team of Haryana wildlife department led by Panchkula inspector Jaibir Singh buried the crows on Saturday afternoon.
In a related development, 10 migratory Bar-headed geese died in a wetland in Jind, Haryana. The carcasses were also being sent to RDDL. "We have sent five crow carcasses and the 10 geese to the RDDL. I cannot state what could be the cause of these deaths. It could be any of the reasons that we suspect. Only tests will determine the true cause of mortality. But to be on the safe side, we had sounded an alert for avian flu across the state a week back. Samples from migratory birds are also being taken from wetlands such as Sultanpur and Bhindawas for testing," Haryana acting chief wildlife warden R K Sapra told TOI.
A total of 32 crows have died here. That is the only bird species to have been hit by the abnormal mortality at this spot. Jaibir Singh on Saturday tried to pass off the deaths as only three in number and due to the intake of fungal-infected maize grains. His team had buried the crows without sending them for tests. But the fact is that crows do not eat grains. In addition, none of the known grain-eating bird species such as doves and peacocks have died at the spot. Crows are also not known to dig the soil and eat pesticide-laden seeds inserted by farmers. Crows are omnivores with a penchant for carrion, chicks and eggs of other birds, and other food stuffs they can scavenge.
The team that exhumed one crow grave on Sunday not only failed to retrieve the six fresh carcasses lying in the open within 50 yards but left behind protective gowns, masks and gloves used to exhume the crow grave. This protective gear was not burnt and disposed of as required under the protocols of avian disease management, putting the farmers at risk.
"I was not informed of the crow deaths on Saturday. I read the TOI report this morning and sought an explanation from my junior officials. I reprimanded him for not having taken samples for further testing as this has to be done under the protocols. We are aware of the avian flu scare and the need to verify any abnormal mortality of birds. I have also sent my DFO (wildlife) to the spot to ascertain if the protective gear has been abandoned. All these alleged lapses will be inquired into by conservator (wildlife) K C Meena and a report submitted to me at the earliest," said Sapra.
The crows that have died here are likely the Indian jungle crow or Large-billed crow. The central government's department of animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries (DAHDF) has notified this species as one affected by the avian virus, H5N1. The count of 32 crows dead here was arrived at by following witness statements: Tarsem Saini of Pinjore counted 23 dead on Saturday; six more were found dead on Sunday; and nearby farmer, Ram Kishen, reported three dead from a mango grove next to his fields. "The crows have been dying after the rains a week back. The maximum casualties were near the lands of Gurnam Singh, where 15 crows died. Crows had been missing from our area for many years but had staged a comeback in recent times," Ram Kishen told TOI on Sunday.
The spot where the crows died was less than 1.5 km from the dam, where migratory birds were sitting along the islands and banks. All the migratory (transcontinent and regional) birds observed on Sunday at the dam's tail-end --- Mallard, Common pochard, Tufted duck, Ruddy shelduck, Eurasian coot, Great and Little cormorants --- have been notified by DAHDF as species that are known to have been affected by avian flu. According to scientists of the Bhopal-based National Institute of High Security Animal Disease, migratory birds may not always die but can remain carriers of the avian flu virus and pass it on to other bird species.