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In response to rising bird flu concerns, Nagpur's Maharajbagh Zoo has temporarily halted the feeding of chicken to its wild animals. This decision comes after the recent deaths of three tigers and a leopard at a wildlife rescue centre in the city, which were suspected to have contracted avian influenza.
Maharashtra's Forest Minister, Ganesh Naik, confirmed on Thursday that the big cats had likely succumbed to bird flu, possibly after consuming contaminated chicken. However, he stated that the definitive cause of death would only be confirmed once the lab test results are received. Authorities have instructed zoo officials to inspect animal food before it is served to ensure its safety.
Avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, primarily affects wild birds and poultry. It has raised alarms in various regions due to its potential transmission to other animals. The Maharajbagh Zoo's Chief Health Officer, Sunil Baviskar, stated that while chicken is not part of the tigers' diet, leopards and other animals that may naturally eat birds are occasionally fed poultry meals. He assured that none of the animals at the zoo have shown symptoms of bird flu.
As a precaution, the zoo has stopped supplying chicken to any animals and continues its routine sanitisation and disinfection processes every two days. Authorities also recommended that the wildlife rescue centre, which lost the tigers and leopard, remain closed temporarily for further investigation.
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The three tigers and the leopard had been relocated to the Gorewada Rescue Centre in Nagpur from Chandrapur after being involved in incidents of man-animal conflict. They died at the centre last month, and subsequent lab tests confirmed that they had contracted the H5N1 strain of the virus, which causes avian influenza.
In light of these developments, the Union government has issued an advisory urging zoos to adopt precautionary measures. In accordance with these guidelines, the disinfection process is currently underway. Meanwhile, officials at the Siddharth Zoo in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar are also taking extra precautions for their 12 tigers and a leopard. They are now being fed food treated with boiled water and using cold chain mechanisms to safeguard them from the potential threat of bird flu, following the incidents in Nagpur.
(With inputs from PTI)
