Parrots death: 200 parrots die on the banks of the Narmada in MP

As per the officials from the veterinary department, food poisoning and improper diet are the causes of their death.

A shocking incident made the headlines on Friday, when it was reported that at least 200 parrots died on the banks of the Narmada in Madhya Pradesh. The incident happened in MP’s Khargone district due to food poisoning and improper diet, said officials.

Officials state that food poisoning and improper diet caused the death of parrots.

At least 200 parrots died due to food poisoning and improper diet on the banks of the Narmada in Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone district on Friday, said the officials from the veterinary department. The carcasses were found in the last four days near an aqueduct bridge on the riverbank in the Badwah area, and a post-mortem report has ruled out bird flu as the cause, they said. It is said that some parrots were alive during the rescue operations, but the toxicity of the food was so severe that they died shortly thereafter, said Tony Sharma, District Wildlife Warden.

Veterinary examinations found no trace of bird flu.

After the massive deaths of the parrots, a panic situation ensued in the area, suspecting a bird flu scare. However, the veterinary examinations found no trace of the infection. Forest department officials have banned feeding near the aqueduct bridge and have deployed staff at the site to enforce the ban. The officials also revealed that the viscera samples from the birds were sent to Jabalpur for further examination. Teams from the veterinary department, forest departments, and the wildlife wing have been monitoring the area for the past four days after being alerted by residents.

Veterinarian Dr Manisha Chauhan, who conducted the post-mortems, said the parrots showed symptoms of food poisoning, with no signs of bird flu. She said that people often unknowingly feed birds food that proves fatal to their digestive systems. Veterinary extension officer Dr Suresh Baghel said rice and small pebbles were found in the stomachs of dead birds. He said that, prima facie, the deaths appear to be linked to improper feeding, citing pesticide exposure from feeding in sprayed fields and water from the Narmada River as contributing factors.