Around 70 demoiselle cranes, popularly known as Kurjan in western Rajasthan, have been found dead in Kaparda village near Jodhpur over the last three days, with forest department officials blaming the highly contagious Newcastle disease which affects the respiratory tracks of the birds. However, tests on viscera samples that can establish this are awaited, and at least one expert believes the deaths are actually the result of pesticide poisoning.
The officials said another 150 birds are stranded because they cannot fly due to the disease.
The Newcastle disease is caused by a virus belonging to the paramyxovirus family. The forest department has sent the viscera samples of the birds to IVRI Bhopal for further investigation. DN Pandey, the head of the forest department, said only the report will provide a clear picture.
The migratory cranes fly thousands of kilometers to various parts of Rajasthan’s Marwar and Phalodi regions from the wetlands of Mongolia and Caucasus in October. They stay there for about five months before returning to their homes.
The birds also make Kaparda, which is about 200km from Keechan, their home during the winter months. Forest department extimates that there are about 300 migratory cranes in Kaparda.
Dr Shravan Singh Rathore, who is treating the birds in Jodhpur, said at least 70 cranes have died and around 150 are sick and not moving even in water, meaning that they can be paralysed.
{{/usCountry}}Dr Shravan Singh Rathore, who is treating the birds in Jodhpur, said at least 70 cranes have died and around 150 are sick and not moving even in water, meaning that they can be paralysed.
{{/usCountry}}“Prima facie it looks like a case of Ranikhet aka Newcastle disease. However, the exact reason would be known after the lab reports of the viscera are received,” he said. The post mortem examination of the birds suggests the virus is behind it, with the lungs and intestines being infected, and the oxygen supply, curtailed, he added. “The viscera samples have been sent to Bhopal. The report is expected in a day or two...”
In 2016, 35 birds in Rajasthan died because of the same disease, he added.
Microbiologist Dr AK Kataria ruled out Newcastle disease and claimed the birds died due to organophosphorus toxicity, an annual phenomenon in this migratory season. “The deaths of cranes are due to organophosphorus toxicity. This toxicity develops when the farmers spray medicine on crops to kill insects, which are eaten by birds leading to death,” he said.