Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe has banned the transport of beef and mutton between districts his office said, after hundreds of cattle and goats died amid unusually cold weather from suspected hypothermic shock.
“Taking into account public health, transport of beef and cattle in between districts and provinces has been banned with immediate effect,” the President’s office said in a statement.
“This was after the sudden death of cattle, buffalo and goats in Kilinocchio, Mullativu, Trincomalee, Baticaloa and Ampara.”
On the 08 and 09, 358 cattle and 191 goats had died in the Northern Province and 444 cattle, 34, buffalo and 191 goats had died in the Eastern Province.
The animals are suspected to have died from hypothermic shock, based on preliminary investigations the statement quoted Hemali Kothelawala, the Director of Animal Production and Health as saying.
Further investigations are being done at several laboratories.
Sri Lanka has experienced unusually cold weather and air pollution from a tropical Cyclone Mandous which drew air from India.
Cyclone Mandous kills hundreds of livestock in Sri Lanka’s northern farms
Veterinary officials have said most of the animals that died seemed to have been in the open and exposed to the weather.
Hypothermic shock of cold stress can be worsened due to wind chill.