Mizoram: Carcasses of wild boar found in Saipum village

Aizawl: Carcasses of wild boar were found recently in a jungle near Mizoram's Saipum village in Kolasib district bordering Assam and they were confirmed death due to African Swine Fever (ASF), an official of state Animal Husbandry and Veterinary department said on Monday.

This is the third time such wild boar carcasses have been found in the state since the outbreak of the swine disease in March 2021, she said.

Animal Husbandry and Veterinary (AH&Vety) department deputy director Esther Lalzoliani said that the highly decomposed carcasses of will board were spotted by locals in the jungle in the second and third weeks of September near Saipum village. The locals then informed the AH&Vety department, which sent a team to the village to collect samples. "Examination of the bone marrow of the wild boars conducted  at the department laboratory tested positive for ASF.

The bone marrow samples were also sent to College of Veterinary Sciences & Animal Husbandry in Selesih near Aizawl, which also confirmed that the wild boars died due to ASF on Friday,"  Esther said.

Locals claimed that the carcasses were found on September 7 and September 18.Lalnunsanga Pulamte, president of Saipum village council-I, said that the village council has prohibited hunting wild animals and bringing their bodies inside the village.

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Meanwhile, Kolasib deputy commissioner Robert C. Lalhmangaiha on Monday issued an order prohibiting hunting and selling of fresh meat or dry meat of any wild animals within Kolasib district following the death of wild boars in Saipum due to ASF.

In July 2022, carcasses of wild boar were also found in a jungle in   Champhai district in the eastern part of the state bordering Myanmar and subsequent laboratory tests  revealed that they died of ASF.

Highly decomposed carcasses of wild boards were also spotted within the Bungtlang South village area on the bank of De Lui river  in September last year.

Although samples could not be collected due the high decomposition, the wild boars at Bungtlang South village were suspected to have died of ASF, officials said.

The outbreak of ASF was first reported at Lungsen village in south Mizoram's Lunglei district near the Bangladesh border in March 2021.Since then 71,679 pigs have died due to the swine fever and 52,865 others culled to prevent further spread of the disease, according to AH&Vety department.

In the currently year, 9,378 pigs have been killed and 3,454 others culled affecting 3,686 families from 162 villages in 8 districts so far, it said. The department also said 33,417 pigs died due to ASF and 12,568 others culled as a precaution to prevent the pig disease from spreading further during 2021.

While 12,795 pigs died and 11,686 others culled in 2022,   the year 2023 saw a smaller toll with 1,139 deaths and 980 pigs culled, it said.

During 2024, at least 14,950 pigs had died  and 24,177 others culled due to the outbreak of ASF in the northeastern state, it said.