Imphal, November 14: Even as the State authorities have rung the precautionary bell and taken up initial steps to deal with any possible outbreak of bird flu following the detection of two bird carcasses at Loktak and Tamenglong district, a cloud of misunderstanding seems to have enveloped the State Forest Department and Veterinary Department on the course of action to be taken up.

On Saturday, a team of State Forest Department officials found the carcass of a cormorant bird near the Keibul Lamjao National Park on the periphery of Loktak lake and the head of the bird was severed and referred to the Veterinary Department for necessary investigation.

However the Veterinary officials refused to accept the severed head of the bird today, thereby raising confusion and misunderstanding between the two departments, disclosed a well placed source from the Veterinary Department to The Sangai Express.

The Veterinary Department is understood to have told the Forest Department that they want the whole carcass for any investigation and not merely its head, said the source.

Significantly no Veterinary officials were present in the trip under taken by the Forest Department.

On the other hand, the Veterinary Department is prepared to send the blood samples of the migratory bird found dead at Tamenglong to the Bhopal laboratory to ascertain the nature of the death of the bird.

Blood samples of domestic fowl from Tamenglong will also be sent.

During the Tamenglong trip, the Forest officials extended full co-operation to the Veterinary team, said the source and added that the team included doctors, specialists and laboratory technicians.

The team arrived at Imphal yesterday.