Sudden deaths of 14 horses and mules, from an unknown disease, employed in the Kedarnath pilgrimage trek in the first two days, have forced the Uttarakhand government to withdraw the pack animal service.

Two teams of experts and veterinarians from Delhi and Haryana have been called to detect the disease and examine the horses and mules being used for carrying the devotees.

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Senior government officials in the state informed that 14 horses employed in the Kedarnath pilgrimage services to carry the devotees between Gaurikund and the shrine area died on the May 4 and May 5 due to unknown disease. According to the officials, common symptoms in all the deceased horses was runny snout with constant mucus oozing out. This is often identified as equine influenza, a known disease in the horse family.

However, the state animal husbandry department has denied equine influenza as the cause of the deaths. “Eight horses and mules died on May 4, while another six died on May 5. Although symptoms of equine influenza, a known disease in the equestrian animals, were reported in the horses last month during their screening. We will not say that these deaths were due to equine influenza. It probably resulted from some bacterial infection. Meanwhile, equestrian service to Kedarnath has been stopped by the district administration for the next 24 hours,” said Dr BVRC Purushottam, Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry.

Dr Purushottam was asked by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday to visit Kedar Valley to take stock of the situation resulting from animal deaths.

The Secretary informed that a team of experts will arrive from the Centre on May 6 to look into the causes of the deaths of these horses and mules. According to Dr Purahottam, the central team will also work to identify the killer disease that has caused the deaths of the 14 equines in two days.

Dr Purahottam further saidthat another team of experts will also come on Tuesday to examine the horses. “The team will conduct Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). Only those animals found negative in RT-PCR tests will be used on the pilgrimage track, while those reported positive will go into quarantine for 10-15 days. Animal pack services en route to Kedarnath will be resumed after examination of all mules and horses registered for the Chardham pilgrimage service,” added Purushottam.

He claimed that equine influenza symptoms were reported in some horses in April, much before the start of the Chardham Pilgrimage on April 30. “Following this record, 16,000 horses and mules were screened with examination of their sero-samples in 26 days between April 4 and April 30. After this, only those horses were registered for the Kedarnath Shrine trek that were found negative in sero-sample examination reports. Those reported positive were quarantined,” said Purushottam.

It’s notable that the Chardham pilgrimage 2025 was started on April 30 with the opening of the portals of Gangotri and Yamunotri shrine, but Kedarnath portals were opened on May 4. Pilgrimage to Badrinath started on May 2.