Paralysed, unable to fly and even waddle, a shoveller sits helpless within the sand on the fringe of Rajasthan’s Sambhar lake. At far one other fowl — a black-winged stilt — sips water, its leg awkwardly positioned and incapable of movement.
These birds look like affected by a form of paralysis, clear signs of avian botulism which has despatched alarm bells ringing on the well-known Sambhar salt lake of Rajasthan
“On October 26, uncommon mortality in birds was reported,” mentioned Dr Bhawani Singh Rathore, director of animal husbandry.
“In 2019, there had been instances of avian botulism that acquired epidemic proportions. Space groups rushed to Sambhar lake and with the assistance of NGOs and different groups from completely different departments, wildlife and the district administration. We’re engaged on disposing the carcasses. Greater than 160 birds have been discovered useless, 20 are sick and we have now additionally arrange a nursery to deal with sick birds,” he mentioned.
In 2019, 1000’s of birds (a authorities report mentioned 18,000) had died resulting from avian botulism at Sambhar lake.
The season for the migratory birds is but to start. As of now, the deaths of birds have been reported amongst species just like the shovler, cootes, and the black-winged stilts.
Sambhar is a wetland that pulls tons of of migratory birds, amongst them the well-known flamingos who at the moment are in peril of being contaminated.
Avian botulism is a neuromuscular sickness that leaves birds paralysed and unable to fly. The illness is brought on by a micro organism thrives in water the place there’s much less oxygen. When birds ingest the micro organism, they’re affected by the illness. When different birds feed on their carcasses, the illness spreads additional. Because of this it’s crucial to burn fowl carcasses, say wildlife specialists.
Migratory birds additionally typically feed on these fowl carcasses and are in peril of being contaminated. Wildlife groups are working extra time on the lake web site to forestall what may be one other catastrophe of epidemic proportions amongst each migratory and native birds within the space.
Wildlife specialists say the micro organism are discovered extra on the fringe of the lake, the place water is much less. So this impacts birds that keep on the fringes of the lake like shovellers and stilts.
Bountiful rains in Rajasthan this 12 months additionally induced the lake waters to unfold and that’s one cause why the poisonous micro organism have additionally unfold exterior, in direction of the perimeters of the lake shore.
Sambhar lake being unfold over 60 sq. kilometres, it’s tough to man the realm and see the place fowl deaths are taking place. Native NGOs have been known as in to assist.
Migratory birds will start to come back to the well-known wetlands from the third week of November. Greater than 35 species, together with the well-known flamingos, come right here annually to flee harsh winters elsewhere.
Officers are hopeful that by then, this outbreak would have been contained.