Wild boar population at risk of wipe out
As virulent African swine flu spreads to Sri Lanka’s forested areas
COLOMBO – African swine flu, which devastated Sri Lanka’s pig farms, especially in the Western Province, has now spread to the island’s wild boar population, with animals in forest reserves starting to die, local media reports said.
An English language daily quoting Tharaka Prasad, Director, Wildlife Health, Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC), as saying dead wild boars have been found in forested areas in Gampaha, Meerigma, Peradeniya and Moneragala as well as the Yala National Park.
Prasad has said that the DWC, which continues to carry out tests on the animals, had found both swine flu and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, in the boars.
While the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome has a low mortality rate and is deemed less dangerous, the highly contagious swine flu is fatal for the animals of the porcine family.
Prasad is quoted as saying that though there is no accurate number of dead boars, the mortality rate is very high and seriously threatens the wild boar population.
He has also noted that the most virulent form of the disease has mortality rates as high as 100% and warned Sri Lanka faces the risk of the entire wild boar population being wiped out
According to the World Health Organization, feeding on garbage with infected meat is one way the disease spreads.
Sri Lanka has seen an increase in the wild boar population over the past several decades and farmers now regard it as a key pest along with torque monkeys, peacocks and elephants.
-ENCL/economynext.com
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