At least 107 dead bodies of Grey Francolin, famously known as titar in Hind, were found near the creek in the Saptapul area of Motagaon in Dombivli West, Thane. The deaths of a large number of birds created concern among locals and nature activists.
Forest officials reached the spot and collected samples to send to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, to check for any infections. The incident occurred when a bird expert, Dr Raju Kasambe, received information that many birds were lying dead in the area.
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Kasambe rushed to the scene and informed the forest department about the incident. The forest officials suspect the possibility of flu or viral infections, the forest team secured the bodies with safety precautions, face masks, gloves and protective gear and sealed them for further testing, according to The Times of India report.
The dead bodies of birds were first sent to the Thane Veterinary Centre. However, preliminary checks by veterinary doctors could not confirm the exact cause of death. The forest department later sent the samples to NIV in Pune, where advanced laboratory tests will determine whether the birds died due to any flu, poisoning or infection.