Newcastle vaccine: Villagers contest officials’ claim

TANDO JAM/ KARACHI/ MITHI: People in Thar have refuted claims made by officials that over 6,000 ailing peacocks have been vaccinated. Meanwhile, a team of experts have described the provincial wildlife department as incapable of eradicating the viral disease known as ‘Rani Khet’ that has killed over 150 birds so far. According to reports, only three teams consisting of wildlife officials have visited the affected areas and distributed medicines among the villagers asking them to administer it to peacocks found suffering from the viral disease. The experts suggested that the dead birds should be immediately buried so that the disease does not spread to other areas. They said the disease affected the peacocks at the Bhattian Ji Wery village first and then spread to other villages.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 2^nd, 2012.