ANTHRAX KILLS FIVE 1-HORNED RHINOS
KOLKATA/SILIGURI: The authorities have suspended elephant safaris at West Bengal’s Jaldapara National Park until Wednesday following the death of five onehorned rhinoceroses of anthrax since Tuesday last to allow them to carry out a vaccination drive against the infectious bacterial disease.
Anthrax primarily impacts herbivores animals and humans can contract the disease directly or indirectly from animals or animal products. A forest official, who did not wish to be named, said they have identified a 7 sq km area in the park’s core zone where the disease has spread. “There are around 13 rhinos in that area. We have started vaccinating them. Till Saturday morning, five [rhinos] have been vaccinated.”
The park, spread over around 200 sq km in the foothills of the eastern Himalayas, is known for its one-horned rhinos. It has the highest rhino population--230-after Assam’s Kaziranga National Park.
It also has 78 trained captive elephants used for safaris and patrolling. The vaccination drive was started after the blood and tissue samples of the dead rhinos tested positive for anthrax. “To date, five rhinos have died. We are taking all measures to contain the disease...,” said West Bengal’s chief wildlife warden, Ravi Kant Sinha. Officials said tourism would not be affected as the anthrax outbreak is restricted to the park’s core area. They added there was no need to vaccinate all the rhinos. Officials were using captive elephants to reach the affected area and vaccinate the rhinos with the help of dart guns.
Chief forest conservator Ujjwal Ghosh said the suspension of elephant safaris will allow them to vaccinate captive elephants. “Elephant safari has been stopped till Wednesday. ...the elephants are being vaccinated against anthrax and would need some rest. We would also need additional elephants for sanitizing the area,” said Ghosh.
Officials said it was too early to say how the disease spread and if the source was cattle from adjoining villages that often graze inside, where rhino deaths were reported in 1993 following another anthrax outbreak.
“The panchayat, animal resources development department and the district administration should join hands to vaccinate cattle in the adjacent villages,”said Animesh Bose of the Himalayan Nature and Adventure Foundation, an NGO.