A special team of experts set up by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change will visit the Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve on 15 or 16 December to investigate the recent incidents of elephants dying from Anthrax.
The team is being led by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) Assistant Inspector General Dr. Vaibhab Mathur. The team will investigate the deaths of the elephants and interact with forest officials and local residents and report to the Union Ministry.
The Dibrugarh Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Pradipta Baruah said, “The three-member environment ministry team will arrive on December 15 or 16 to take the update on the situation of the infection.”
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Anthrax is a highly infectious and fatal disease that primarily infects herbivorous animals and causes high fever, shivering, ulcers and swellings.
Fearing an outbreak of the disease in the region, the forest department had started a vaccination drive last week, covering a 5-km radius at Namsang in Joypur reserve forest. The forest department has also prohibited fishing in the forest as a precautionary measure.