Dog vaccination launched after CDV confirmed as cause of 5 tiger deaths

The highly contagious and deadly, Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) has been confirmed to be the cause of the recent death of an entire tiger family including a tigress and her four sub-adult cubs within nine days in the Kanha Tiger Reserve (KTR) of Madhya Pradesh.

According to State Forest Department Officials, the viscera samples of the dead tigers were sent to the laboratory at Jabalpur for detailed examination, and the test results have confirmed the presence of CDV in the samples.

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It was already being suspected that CDV might be the cause of the deaths, which occurred between 21 April and 29 April.

Following the confirmation, the state forest department has swung into action to prevent any further spread of the virus to other tigers and carnivores.

As the main preventive measure, officials have launched the vaccination drive of dogs on a war footing in all the villages located near the core and buffer zones of the KTR.

Dogs are considered to be the most potent carriers of the CDV, and they can transmit it to other carnivores, including tigers.

All drinking water sources in the forest area where the deaths occurred, and near the villages are also being sanitised and cleaned.

Fencings are also being erected in order to prevent dogs from entering the forest.

According to KTR Deputy Director Prakash Chandra Verma, the target is to vaccinate at least 1,000 dogs in the villages located in the vicinity of the reserve’s buffer and core zones.

More than 400 dogs have already been vaccinated in the past five days since the drive was launched in the villages of Khatiya, Sarhi, Khapa and five others.

As a community service gesture – and also a desperate measure to safeguard their livelihoods – resort owners, taxi drivers, guides, safari operators, and all villagers have also assured that they would assist the forest department in monitoring the movement of dogs and preventing any dog from entering the forest area.

The death of tigers has a direct adverse affect on tourist footfall, and that, in turn, hits hard on the livelihood of all those dependent on forest tourism, of which tiger sighting is undoubtedly the biggest attraction.

The eight-year-old tigress, identified as T-141, and her one-year-old four cubs, including a female, perished between April 21 and 29 after getting infected by CDV.

The first cub died on 21 April, the decomposed carcass of the second was recovered on 24 April, and the third cub, a female, died on 25 April.

The KTR authorities tranquilised and rescued the mother and the last remaining cub on 27 April, and brought them for treatment at the quarantine facility in the Mukki area of KTR.

Despite efforts by veterinarians, the mother died during treatment in the morning of 29 April, while her last cub also succumbed the same evening while undergoing treatment.

In a major outbreak in 2018, at least 34 lions had died due to CDV at the world-famous Gir National Park in Gujarat.