Bhubaneswar: The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) has constituted a six-member committee to develop a Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and Protocols to deal with Elephant Endotheliotrops Herpes Virus (EEHV) in captive zoo elephants.
Odisha Forest and Environment Minister Bikram Keshari Arukh disclosed this to the newspersons on the sidelines of the celebration of state-level wildlife week here Friday.
The Minister said CZA constituted the committee on the request of Odisha after four elephant calves died of suspected EEHV at Nandankanan Zoological Park here.
The Minister said the members of the Committee are Dr K K Sarma, Dr Gauranga Mahato of Assam Veterinary College, Guwahati, Dr A K Das, Senior Veterinary officer of Nandankanan Biological Park, Dr Arun Zachariah, Veterinary officer, Waynad, Kerala. Dr M Karikalan, Scientist, Centre for Wildlife, ICAR, IVRI, Bareily and Dr Mrinalini Saini, Veterinary Consultant Central Zoo Authority.
The committee was asked to analyse various recent and past case history related to EEHV in captivity and prepare an SOP to deal with the disease.
The Committee was asked to submit its report within two months, the Minister said
Experts from Assam and Kerala had visited the state and offered their advice after the elephants suspected to have been suffering from Herpes Virus.
(UNI)