M.P. High Court seeks report on State’s tiger reserves amid canine distemper virus deaths
Around 2,500 dogs have been vaccinated in Madhya Pradesh’s Kanha Tiger Reserve amid the deaths of eight tigers since April due to Canine Distemper Virus
Around 2,500 dogs have been vaccinated in Madhya Pradesh’s Kanha Tiger Reserve amid the deaths of eight tigers since April due to Canine Distemper Virus (CDV), State authorities have told The Madhya Pradesh High Court. Also read | Sixth tiger dies of suspected CDV in Madhya Pradesh’s Kanha Reserve The High Court has, however, sought a status report on all nine tiger reserves of the State as well as on measures taken to curb the spread of the virus at Kanha.
Hearing a petition on July 9, a Division Bench of Justices Anand Pathak and B.P. Sharma also directed the State and Central Governments and the Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to keep vigil over all tiger reserves. “It is expected that respondents shall rise to the occasion and will keep vigilance over all Tiger Reserves and whenever and wherever vaccination is required, said drive be undertaken so that the cat family be saved from onslaught of such natural/health calamities,” the court said.
The State Government told the court that the tigers at Kanha are “more or less safe” and that the wildlife authorities are constantly monitoring their activities. “Counsel appearing for State elaborates the steps taken in respect of preventing spread of Canine Distemper Virus [CDV] prevailing in Kanha Tiger Reserve. She mentions the fact that more than 2000 [around 2500] dogs have been vaccinated and suitable measures have been taken to check the disease. According to her, now the tigers are more or less safe,” the court order noted.
Spread through dogs, the CDV claimed first lives at Kanha in April when a female tiger and her four cubs died within 10 days, raising concerns of an outbreak in the Tiger Reserve and alerting authorities. At least three more tigers, in different ranges of the Reserve, have also succumbed to the deadly virus since then even as officials continued to claim that the CDV had been contained.
The BriefWire