Barang: Senior wildlife veterinarian from Kerala, Arun Zakaria, will visit Nandankanan Zoological Park (NZP) here Monday to look into the series of elephant deaths at NZP owing to Herpes virus within a span of one month, an official said Sunday.
This apart, the senior wildlife veterinarian, who is in a two-day visit to the city zoo, will take stock of the elephants—Prema, Basanti, Heera and Mama at Nandankanan, the official added.
Sources said NZP deputy director Jayant Kumar Das, along with a zoo veterinarian, is scheduled to take part in the International Herpes Workshop scheduled to be held in Assam this October. Apart from several zoos in the country, experts from across the globe will attend the workshop.
Sources said the workshop will brainstorm on issues pertaining to Herpes including preventives, treatment and vaccination. “Herpes once wreaked havoc in North America. And a Herpes vaccine was given to the inmates of a zoo there. The workshop will discuss on the vaccine and its availability in India,” said a source.
Meanwhile, the NZP deputy director, Sunday, left for Delhi to take part in the meet organised by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Monday.
Sources said Das will urge the authorities to declare eco-sensitive zone at Nandankanan.