9 ducks found dead at Chamkaur Sahib

Tribune News Service

Ropar, December 26

Nine ducks were found dead under mysterious circumstances in a village pond near Chamkaur Sahib last evening.

Animal husbandry officials have sent their swab samples to the Regional Diseases Diagnostic Laboratory in Jalandhar in view of the death of geese due to bird flu in Chandigarh recently. Six of the dead birds were spot-billed ducks and the remaining were little grebe ducks.

SK Khullar, Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry, said he was informed by revenue officers last night that few birds were lying dead in a pond at Bhurarre village. A team of veterinarians was rushed to the spot. Sarpanch Baljinder Singh Lavli informed the team that nearly six ducks were lying dead. On a search, the officials found another three dead birds at a distance. None of the dead birds was migratory, Khullar said.

Tanu Kashyap, Deputy Commissioner, Ropar, said there were two wetlands in the district. The administration had alerted officials to keep a watch on the birds. All residents in villages near the wetlands in Ropar and Nangal had been asked to report any such incident to them.