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Viral infection hits Himalayan blue sheep in Spiti Valley
September 20, 2012
By: HP Bureau
Kaza: The Himalayan blue sheep or bharal, an important prey of the endangered snow leopard, is under threat in the wild from a highly contagious viral infection in the Spiti Valley, the state?s northernmost part that runs parallel to the Tibetan border.
Wildlife officials say a large number of blue sheep have been reported to be suffering from foot-and-mouth disease.
?A large number of blue sheep suffering from the disease were spotted in the Demul (village) area,? Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife) Rajeev Kumar said.
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Kumar said even camera traps (automatic cameras) laid by the wildlife department in coordination with Mysore-based NGO Nature Conservation Foundation in the Spiti Valley to study the habitat of snow leopard have recorded the infected animals.
?Since the domesticated goats and sheep share the grazing grounds with wild animals, there are chances that the blue sheep acquired the disease from the domesticated ones,? he said...
More...
http://hillpost.in/2012/09/20/viral-infection-hits-himalayan-blue-sheep-in-spiti-valley/51406/general/hp_bureau
September 20, 2012
By: HP Bureau
Kaza: The Himalayan blue sheep or bharal, an important prey of the endangered snow leopard, is under threat in the wild from a highly contagious viral infection in the Spiti Valley, the state?s northernmost part that runs parallel to the Tibetan border.
Wildlife officials say a large number of blue sheep have been reported to be suffering from foot-and-mouth disease.
?A large number of blue sheep suffering from the disease were spotted in the Demul (village) area,? Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife) Rajeev Kumar said.
...
Kumar said even camera traps (automatic cameras) laid by the wildlife department in coordination with Mysore-based NGO Nature Conservation Foundation in the Spiti Valley to study the habitat of snow leopard have recorded the infected animals.
?Since the domesticated goats and sheep share the grazing grounds with wild animals, there are chances that the blue sheep acquired the disease from the domesticated ones,? he said...
More...
http://hillpost.in/2012/09/20/viral-infection-hits-himalayan-blue-sheep-in-spiti-valley/51406/general/hp_bureau