M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, Sept 30: Palamu Tiger Reserve management has stepped up to raise awareness about the lumpy skin disease virus among the residents of the eight villages including Arka, Garee, Kuchila, Muru, Rabdi etc around the Betla National Park. The step is being taken to save the 5,000 deer who live in Betla National Park.
Kumar Ashish, deputy director of the North division of PTR said, “Wherever I have been going to in the North division, I am speaking to cattle farmers asking them to be cautious about the lumpy skin disease of the cattle.”
Ashish said farmers know the name of the disease but have this feeling that their cattle stock will be safe and no harm will be coming to them.
He admitted that cattle entry from the adjoining villages in the PTR is a perennial problem. “Despite our persuasions, motivations and warning to cattle farmers not to push their cattle into our territory, the cattle of the farmers continue to trespass our PTR grasslands. This is risky, these cattle pose a health risk to our wildlife. We are determined to minimise it,” he said.
Since lumpy skin disease is a transmissible disease, hence, fear looms large over the 5,000 deer of the Betla National Park.
Deonath Chourasia, district animal husbandry officer in Latehar, confirmed 2 cases of lumpy skin disease, one in Barwadeeh and the other in Balumath saying the health of the affected animal is not worrisome as of now.
He said although this disease is not zoonotic, nevertheless, there is a caution to such a person who handles cattle affected by it.
“Our deer are a valuable asset but their only abode is the Betla National Park and hence it becomes more important for PTR to keep them fit and healthy,” Kumar Ashish said.
A member of the advisory committee set up by the National Tiger Conservation Authority, Shailesh Kumar (retired PCCF UP) had recently phoned Kumar Ashish asking him to sound high alert in the wake of deer falling victim to the lumpy skin disease in Rajasthan.
“We have taken note of this alert signal from the member of the advisory committee set up by the National Tiger Conservation Authority,” Ashish said.
