Odisha’s Karlapat Sanctuary

Context

Six elephants died of haemorrhagic septicaemia in Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary in Odisha’s Kalahandi district within 14 days of time.

About Karlapat sanctuary

• Karlapat sanctuary is spread over an area of 175 square km in Odisha’s Kalahandi district.
• The sanctuary home to tigers, leopards, sambars, nilgais, barking deer, mouse deer and a wide variety of birds like green munia, great eared-nightjar and various reptiles, apart from elephants.
• The forest consists of flora like Sal, Bija, Asan, Harida, Amala, Bahada and Bamboo and varieties of medicinal plants.
• There are several small and big waterfalls inside the sanctuary like Phurlijharan, Ghusrigudi, Dumnijhola, Kamalajharan, Koyirupa, Kuang and Raja Rani.

What is Haemorrhagic Septicaemia?

• Haemorrhagic septicaemia is a contagious bacterial disease which infects animals that come in contact with contaminated water or soil.
• It is caused by certain serotypes of Pasteurella multocida, a Gramnegative coccobacillus residing mostly as a commensal in the nasopharynx of animals.
• The disease generally spreads in the period right before and after the monsoons. It can affect cattle, buffalo and other animals. 
• It can be transmitted by ingesting contaminated food and water or through respiratory secretions.