NAMAKKAL: Around 13 storks were found dead under a banyan tree in Muthukaalipatti in Namakkal’s Rasipuram, triggering concern among residents as the district is a major poultry hub.
The incident comes amid reports of bird deaths in other parts of Tamil Nadu. In February, several crows were found dead in Chennai and a few other areas across the state, raising fears following the detection of avian influenza in certain regions.
Following a statewide advisory, poultry farms in Namakkal district had intensified biosecurity measures as a precaution.
A senior official from the Animal Husbandry Department in Namakkal said the stork carcasses were found in a highly decomposed state and could not be sent for laboratory testing.
"As per standard operating procedures, the bodies have been buried. However, samples from the surroundings, including bird droppings, have been collected and sent to the Poultry Disease Diagnosis and Surveillance Laboratory in Namakkal," the official said.
The official added that the exact cause of death would be known only after the test results are received, but noted that the environmental samples alone may not be sufficient to determine whether the birds died due to avian influenza.
Namakkal District Collector Durgamoorthi said, "Since the bodies were decomposed and it was not clear when the birds died, they were buried as per protocol. For the past three weeks, consecutive meetings have been held to create awareness regarding bird flu," she said.