Mandya: Kokkare Bellur villagers here are a worried lot as many Spot-Billed Pelicans have taken ill after the death of a Pelican on Tuesday.

Worried villagers, who share a very good relationship with these birds, have urged the authorities concerned to take steps to protect the birds.

Although the reason for the illness has not been confirmed, villagers suspect that the birds may be suffering from a viral infection or may have fallen ill due to consumption of contaminated water, infected fish or poisonous food. But the veterinarians have ruled out the possibility of Avian Flu.

Villagers said that some Pelicans were fainting from exhaustion while many others were seen perched on tree-tops idly and added that these birds were not consuming food since a week besides becoming inactive.

A veterinarian said that lab test would be conducted into the death of a Spot-Billed Pelican.

Meanwhile, the villagers have urged the Wildlife, Forest and Veterinary officials to visit each tree where these exhausted birds are perched and collect samples of the lake water and droppings of these birds and send them to a laboratory to ascertain the illness of these birds.

The villagers also urged the officials to provide medication to these birds and undertake spraying of disinfectants as Painted Storks would be arriving in large numbers to Kokkare Bellur for roosting and breeding soon.