Following the threat of infectious diseases spreading from the ponies damaging the pastures of sheep herds kept in Sheep Breeding Research Station (affiliated to TANUVAS) in Sandynallah near Ooty, the entry of tourists and pony rides have been banned in the Kamaraja Sagar area.
Nilgiri, January 15
Following the threat of infectious diseases spreading from the ponies damaging the pastures of sheep herds kept in Sheep Breeding Research Station (affiliated to TANUVAS) in Sandynallah near Ooty, the entry of tourists and pony rides have been banned in the Kamaraja Sagar area.
Over 1200 rare herds of Nilgiris sheep are reared in the Sheep Breeding Research Station, which has been functioning in the past fifty years, and it is controlled by Tamilnadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University.
In the meanwhile, the 1200 acres of pastures and grazing lands of the sheep has dwindled to 900 acres in recent times in Wenlock areas due to development. The pony rides taken by tourists in Wenlock downs area where the pastures for the sheep have proven costly for the sheep which got foot rot and heart diseases due to infections, which is attributed to the pony rides and increasing tourist activity in the area near Kamarajar Sagar.
R. Anilkumar, Professor, and Head of Sheep Breeding Research station said, the puddles created by the footprint of the ponies and horses have been the prime cause of the spread of infectious diseases, as rainwater collects in these pits, which causes the diseases to spread.
So tourist activity or horse rides are banned in Wenlock down area near Kamarajar Sagar he said.
Following the threat of infectious diseases spreading from the ponies damaging the pastures of sheep herds kept in Sheep Breeding Research Station (affiliated to TANUVAS) in Sandynallah near Ooty, the entry of tourists and pony rides have been banned in the Kamaraja Sagar area.
Over 1200 rare herds of Nilgiris sheep are reared in the Sheep Breeding Research Station, which has been functioning in the past fifty years, and it is controlled by Tamilnadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University.
In the meanwhile, the 1200 acres of pastures and grazing lands of the sheep has dwindled to 900 acres in recent times in Wenlock areas due to development. The pony rides taken by tourists in Wenlock downs area where the pastures for the sheep have proven costly for the sheep which got foot rot and heart diseases due to infections, which is attributed to the pony rides and increasing tourist activity in the area near Kamarajar Sagar.
R. Anilkumar, Professor, and Head of Sheep Breeding Research station said, the puddles created by the footprint of the ponies and horses have been the prime cause of the spread of infectious diseases, as rainwater collects in these pits, which causes the diseases to spread.
So tourist activity or horse rides are banned in Wenlock down area near Kamarajar Sagar he said.