There is yet another bad news for the tigers in the country. As if increased incidents of their poaching and dwindling habitats were not enough, there is another emerging challenge. Several big cats have tested positive for Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) that are transmitted largely through domestic dogs. The virus is also deadly to other carnivores/animals in the wild.
Against this backdrop, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) on Monday issued an advisory marked “most urgent” to the States. Issued by NTCA Member secretary Rajesh Gopal, the advisory said the country’s wild tiger population is under “threat” from Canine Distemper Virus. It has asked States to deal it as a “top most priority” and directed the chief wildlife wardens of all tiger range states to launch a “special drive” in collaboration with the state veterinary departments for “sensitising” field officials of tiger reserves and veterinary officers of districts concerned.
The advisory further said that it is most important to create a “barrier” through prophylactic immunisation of dogs or cats in the buffer areas of tiger reserves. It has issued directions to the tiger range states that during post-mortem, blood/tissue samples should be collected from carnivores for subsequent examination. Such samples should be sent to Wildlife Institute of India and Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI).
According to NTCA sources, the virus has killed at least four tigers last year and several other animals across northern and eastern India. The CDV lab tests were conducted at the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI). “These are very disturbing finds,” said Dr AK Sharma, head scientist at the IVRI. “The cases were quite distant from each other and the latest was an area where there are no dogs. So it appears the virus is spreading.”
After two cubs tested positive for CDV in Patna Zoo last year, IVRI has found at least four more cases. These include a red panda in Manipur, a wild tiger in West Bengal, a lion in Darjeeling zoo and the most recent being a wild tiger in the Dudhwa Tiger reserve in Uttar Pradesh, said Dr Sharma.”Regarding the last case, forest guards had informed that they saw the animal behave in a weird and confused manner before it died,” he added.
According to experts, there may be more undetected cases, since testing for canine distemper has not been routine and few animals that die in the wild are ever found. The cases being found across such a huge swath of India, confirm that the disease could already be running in the wild, said the experts adding that more research is required.
