Hyderabad: The forest department is taking measures to prevent the spread of bird flu to national parks in the city, especially at the Mahavir Haritha Vanasthali National Park, located in Vanasthalipuram about 10 km from Thorrur, where the disease was reported last week.
There is no major water body in the park and it is not visited by waterfowl and shore birds, the main carriers of avian influenza. However, it still attracts more than 100 other species of birds.
There are also chances that birds which frequent Thorrur like the cattle egret, pond heron and little egret might visit the national park and, more importantly, their droppings, a major source of the avian influenza virus, there.
Mr M. Ashok Kumar, curator of national parks with the Telangana forest department, said that sprinkling of bleach and lime, cleaning of water containers, checking for animal deaths are conducted mostly during the monsoon.
“Keeping in mind the bird flu outbreak we have started conducting these measures now itself,” Mr Kumar said. Samples of birds found to have died an unusual death would be sent to the Veterinary Biological Research Institute in the city.
The zoo is another area of concern. Chief wildlife warden P.K. Sharma said signages have been placed outside bird enclosures informing people not to get too close to the cages. All the enclosures are being sanitised regularly, antibiotic drugs are being provided in feed.
