A laboratory report sent to the forest department in Noida on Monday confirmed that the Ranikhet virus was the reason behind the peacocks' deaths.
Recently, several peacocks had died in Patwari, Vaidpura and Bisrakh villages and others in Greater Noida.
Villagers from Noida Extension in Greater Noida had claimed that a mysterious disease was killing peacocks in the area. In the last one month, 40 peacock deaths had been reported.
After HT reported the news, the divisional forest department admitted that four sick peacocks were admitted in a veterinary hospital in Surajpur, Greater Noida. Later, one of the peacocks died.
"We had sent the carcass of a bird to a lab in Bareilly. On Monday we received the result, which confirmed that the death occurred due to Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV). This virus is popularly known as Ranikhet disease is India," said B Prabhakar, divisional forest officer (DFO), Gautam Budh Nagar.
NDV spreads quickly among birds, making them blind and motionless before killing them.
The virus spreads through the air and shared grains eaten by birds.
{{/usCountry}}The virus spreads through the air and shared grains eaten by birds.
{{/usCountry}}"Excess use of fertilisers and other chemicals by farmers might have contaminated the food peacocks eat. Domestic waste and environmental changes could also have affected these birds," said Rupak Dey, chief wildlife warden, Uttar Pradesh.
"The Ranikhet disease is caused by environmental pollution. We are investigating the reasons that led to the outbreak of the Ranikhet disease. We will take preventive measures to protect our national bird," added the DFO.