Lakhimpur Kheri (UP), April 9 Authorities of the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve have placed their hopes on the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Bareilly, to determine the exact cause of death of 25 vultures, whose carcasses were recovered from a field under the Bhira range of the Dudhwa buffer zone, officials said on Thursday.
The carcasses of the vultures, a protected species under the Wildlife Protection Act and classified as a critically endangered species of birds, were recovered on Tuesday.
Kirti Chaudhary, deputy director of the Dudhwa buffer zone, said that 25 vultures (presumed to be mostly of the Himalayan Griffin species) were found dead, lying in a field in the Semarai village within the Dudhwa buffer zone.
She added that five other vultures were found in an unconscious state in the field and were immediately provided treatment before being released after they were found fit to fly.
Chaudhary told
She said that a panel of veterinary doctors, including Dr. Daya Shankar from Dudhwa, Dr. Ankur, and Dr. Rajendra Singh, carried out the post-mortem of 23 dead vultures, while the carcasses of two of them were sent to IVRI, Bareilly, along with the viscera of 23 vultures, for further investigation and analysis as per instructions from the DTR field director and chief conservator of forest, Dr. H. Rajamohan.
However, the post-mortem failed to pinpoint the exact nature of the poison found in the carcasses, though it was found that the vultures died after consuming the remains of dog carcasses recovered from the same spot.
Dr. Daya Shankar, a member of the post-mortem panel, told
