Nagpur: As many as 25 gaur have died in Nawegaon National Park, Maharashtra due to the onset of an epidemic since March 2002. Many more gaurs may die unless the disease is immediately identified and prevention measures are taken.

Local sources have confirmed the deaths, but they have not yet been able to identify the cause of the epidemic. A local newspaper, Navrashtra, reported that more than 100 gaurs had succumbed to this disease, the cause of which is still mysterious. However, local sources say that only 20 to 25 guars have died so far.

Nawegoan National Park situated in Bhandara and Gondia districts of Maharashtra covers a total area of 133.88 sq km. The park, located in southern Satpura Hills, is prime habitat for gaur and tigers

The forest department in Nawegaon has been put on alert. Preliminary investigations by the veterinary doctors of the forest department suggest that it may be an outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD). But to confirm the results the samples form the dead animals have been collected and sent for further investigation to the lab. Dr Arun Kumar, of Nagpur Veterinary College, who is investigating the epidemic, says that none of the other angulates in the park have been affected by the disease, including nilgai, chital and sambar. However, he says that an FMD outbreak has been reported among cattle in the villages located on the fringes of the park since October 2001.

Cattle transmitted diseases are the primary cause of mortality in free ranging gaurs. Gaurs have succumbed to epidemics of FMD (Ali 1953), rinderpest (Baker 1890, Stewart 1928), and anthrax (Peacock 1933) in many areas of distribution. Rinderpest took a heavy toll in Bandipur and Mudumalai Sanctuaries in 1968 and Peryiar in 1974-75 (Ranjitsinh 1997). Three gaurs were reported to have died as a result of anthrax in Kanha in 1969 (Ranjitsinh 1997).

A survey carried out in 2000 by the gaur project of Wildlife Institute of India states that gaur population are present in 101 existing and 27 proposed protected areas (PA’s) in India, covering 15 states. The present distribution range of gaur covers approximately 7.12% of the geographical area and 30% of forest cover of India. The principal threats to gaur reported from the 52 PA’s were habitat degradation (75%), poaching (17%) and disease (8%) (Pasha 2000).