Chennai: In the wake of the anthrax scare, the TN forest department and the state animal husbandry department has intensified the health screening for elephants and livestock in the border areas of TN reserve forests.
“We are on a high alert and the office of the principal chief conservator of forests has been informed to coordinate with the animal husbandry department to ensure that the incidence of anthrax virus is kept at bay”, state fisheries and animal husbandry secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi told DC. So far there is no outbreak of anthrax among livestock and in case of reserve areas, the forest department is taking up the bio shield measures, he said.
Subsequently the district forest officers have also commenced the monthly monitoring system for the temple and captive elephants. Thanjavur district forest officer Sivagurusamy on Wednesday conducted an interactive session with elephant owners and mahouts.
“As per the captive elephant management rules, there are monthly parameters that have to be checked by veterinarians. These medical follow ups will ensure that captive elephants are attended and can be diagnosed of any virus threat,” said conservation scientist A. Kumaraguru of Biodiversity Conservation Foundation. The field manual in maintaining an elephant is now circulated among mahouts and private elephant owners, he said.
Meanwhile, the foresters in the tiger reserves have also sounded the rangers to look out for the dead mammals. “The elephants and other large herbivores are under the scanner and the areas where there was report of suspected elephant deaths due to anthrax is now under surveillance and the entire Coimbatore and Nilgiri circle is on alert”, said a forest ranger.
