CCF Manjunath Chavan says remaining seven blackbucks may be infected too in Karnataka

Belagavi: Chief conservator of forests (CCF) Manjunath Chavan said disinfectants had been sprayed in the enclosures of the blackbucks and surrounding ones to ensure that the bacterial infection does not spread. Caretakers are sanitising themselves while moving from one enclosure to another to ensure that the contamination is contained.

Chavan told reporters at the zoo that as per the opinion of the experts who had come from Bengaluru to conduct the post mortem of the black bucks, the animals had died due to suspected bacterial infection.

The remaining blackbucks too were being provided treatment as per their guidance.

“Seven blackbucks are alive and active. We suspect that they are also infected. Experts are arriving again to check them,” he said. The medical officer and assistant were veterinary doctors working with the zoo for the last three years and had also attended different workshops, Chavan said.

“The death of blackbucks in such huge numbers has taken place in the state for the first time and we have come across one such incident at Vadodara in Gujarat. Test reports of visceral samples will help take precautions,” Chavan said.

“Blackbucks are sensitive animals and cannot be trapped for vaccination. Hence, we give them medication through food. All herbivorous animals are given same food and none of them suffered any problem barring the blackbucks,” the CCF said.