Infection hits Himalayan blue sheep

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 northern-most 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 local sheep and goat breeders have reported the spread of the disease to the wildlife wing.

Foot-and-mouth is an acute contagious disease of cloven-footed animals marked by ulcers in the mouth and around the hoofs.

Kumar said even camera traps 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.

A wildlife team has been despatched to gauge the extent of the disease. The local animal husbandry authorities have been told to treat the domesticated animals in case the infection spreads, the wildlife official added.