Using an old method to deal with a new menace

NST: To achieve a "bird-free" zone around Kampung Pasir Wardieburn, the Veterinary Services Department tonight resorted to a rather unconventional method — a blowpipe.
Mohd Ulang Tipak, an Orang Asli from Gombak who is a VSD employee, was asked to test the efficiency of a blowpipe on chickens hiding in trees, using darts with tips laced with an anaesthetic.
However, the anaesthetic, which was a combination of medicine strong enough to knock out horses, proved ineffective.
"We had to chase the chickens which fell from the trees until the medicine took effect. We only managed to catch five or six, as there were times when I missed. Also, I did not know there would be so many chickens here and prepared only a few darts."
The 43-year-old Orang Asli said he needed help from two or three more of his friends to get the work done.
Ulang, though, may not get the opportunity as it is understood that the VSD is set to use small-calibre rifles tomorrow to flush the birds from the trees.
Meanwhile, starting as early as 7.30am, 40 swab teams swung into action for the third day to take fowl samples outside the one-kilometre radius.
Starting from the Veterinary Management Institute in Kajang, the teams, made up of five members each, set out to collect cloacal swabs from chickens, geese, ducks and other birds.
One such team was Team 2 led by Ghazali Awang Mel, 40. His team comprised three members from the Terengganu VSD and two Universiti Putra Malaysia Veterinary Faculty students.
"This is our third day out, and we have to say that the owners have all been very co-operative in allowing us to take samples from their fowls," he said.
Among the places his team covered today were Kampung Baru, Jalan Abdullah Yasin, Jalan Sungai Baru, Jalan Raja Abdullah and Jalan Raja Alang.
"We managed to take 31 samples today. We will send them to the institute to be tested."
Their last stop was KLCC, but no swabs were taken as there were no bird shops in the complex.
Veterinary Services Department’s disease control unit head Dr Kamaruddin Mat Isa said the results of the tests would be known within two to three days.