Khordha: Two days after residents of Kotalanga village under Begunia tehsil in Khordha district spotted carcasses of crows lying around in different parts of the village, more such carcasses were found Tuesday morning.
Fearful of a probable bird flu outbreak, panicked villagers informed the local Animal Husbandry Department to take stock of the situation.
On being informed, a team of officials from the Department arrived at the village to identify the reason behind the unusual deaths.
While the exact cause behind the crows’ deaths is yet to be ascertained, the officials informed that samples have been collected and sent to the Animal Disease Research Institute at Phulnakhara for further investigation.
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“The officials assured us that they are monitoring the situation and will take necessary steps if bird flu outbreak is detected,” said a villager.
Meanwhile, a senior official in the district administration said that a meeting was convened November 11 with the Forest department and Wildlife officials to check avian flu outbreak among the migratory birds in Chilika lagoon.
The migratory birds travel thousands of miles every year to reach the lagoon for a hospitable alternate habitat due to non-availability of food in their natural habitat amid the freezing temperature in the Northern hemisphere. Bird flu outbreak among these migratory birds has been recorded several times in the past.