Khargone, Jan 2: At least 200 parrots have died along the banks of the Narmada River in Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone district over the past four days, with officials ruling out bird flu and suspecting food poisoning as the cause.
The carcasses were found near an aqueduct bridge in the Badwah area, triggering concern among local residents. District Wildlife Warden Tony Sharma said around 25 dead parrots were first discovered under the bridge near Navghat Khedi on December 29, with the number rising steadily to over 200 by Tuesday. Besides parrots, sparrows, doves and pigeons were also found dead in the area.
Veterinary examinations and post-mortem reports have ruled out avian influenza. “The post-mortem findings indicate symptoms of food poisoning. Some parrots were rescued alive, but the toxicity was so severe that they died shortly thereafter,” Sharma said.
Veterinarian Dr Manisha Chauhan, who conducted the examinations, said there were no indicators of bird flu in any of the samples. Veterinary extension officer Dr Suresh Baghel said rice grains and small pebbles were found in the stomachs of the dead birds, pointing to improper feeding practices.
“People often unknowingly feed birds cooked or leftover food, which can be fatal to their digestive systems,” Dr Baghel said. He added that pesticide exposure from feeding in sprayed agricultural fields and consumption of river water could also have contributed to the deaths.
Following the incident, teams from the veterinary, forest and wildlife departments have been monitoring the area for the past four days. The forest department has imposed a ban on feeding birds near the aqueduct bridge and deployed staff at the site to enforce the restriction.
Viscera samples from the deceased birds have been sent to Jabalpur for further laboratory examination, officials said.
