BHAWANIPATNA: A three-member team from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) visited Karlapat wildlife sanctuary on Saturday to ascertain the death of six elephants.
Sources said, the Central team is on the same page with the Forest department about hemorrhagic septicemia (HS) being the cause and the measures undertaken to prevent further outbreak though it has collected samples and would seek more detail analysis.
Since there has been no more death, the department has reasons to believe the spread has been contained.
The team comprising Centre for Wildlife (ICAR-IVRI Bareilly) scientist Karikalan Mathesh, MoEF&CC Elephant Cell national coordinator Prajna Panda and head of department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine at OUAT Prof Niranjan Sahoo visited Tentulikhunti where the first elephant death was reported. It also visited Ghusurigudi and Lilingpadar and a few water bodies within the sanctuary.
The officials reviewed the hemorrhagic septicemia vaccination drive to protect domestic cattle from the disease in villages. Sources said the team also assessed the steps taken by the Forest department to prevent recurrence of such incidents in future and collected samples from water bodies in the sanctuary.
The team conducted a review meeting in the evening and expressed satisfaction with the steps being taken for disinfection of water bodies, tracking of elephant herd and vaccination of domestic cattle in the sanctuary.
Kalahandi Collector Harshad Parag Gavali said the team advised forest officials to remain vigilant for the next month. The water samples collected by the team will be sent to the unit of Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) at Guwahati for inspection.
The team will visit the sanctuary again after the report is received. The team said the six elephants which died in the sanctuary were from two herds. Members of the other two herds are safe and segregated from those affected by the disease.
The movement of the herds is being monitored by drones and CCTV cameras by the Forest department. The team will once again visit the sanctuary on Sunday and address media persons.
Meanwhile, water samples collected by Animal Disease Research Institute (ADRI) found no trace of bacteria that causes HS. Bone marrow too has been collected by Centre for Wildlife Health as well as ADRI.
Investigation reveals that there were cattle deaths near the village where the first jumbo death was reported. The samples from cattle too have been collected for examination and results are awaited.
“An animal like elephant could be carrying the bacteria and still be healthy because stress is known to lead to the disease and its manifestation. The first death was that of a pregnant elephant and pregnancy stress could be a reason. But it is difficult to exactly link all this,” said sources.
Earlier, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had asked authorities concerned to take corrective measures in consultation with experts at the State and national level.