The Madhya Pradesh police's horse squad will not participate in tomorrow's Independence Day Parade here due to an outbreak of glanders, a senior official said today.
Glanders is a zoonotic disease caused by the bacterium burkholderia mallei and primarily affects horses, donkeys and mules.
The police's horse contingent traditionally has been a big draw with children who throng in large numbers along with their parents to watch the parade on August 15, officials said.
Deputy Inspector General Deepak Verma of the Special Armed Force told PTI today that, following a notification by the state government, the horses would not be taking part in the parade.
He informed that the animals had been sent to other districts on account of the outbreak of glanders.
The first case of glanders was detected in Gwalior this year and in May three horses were culled to stop its spread, officials said.
The Independence Day parade, to be held at the Motilal Nehru Stadium here, will be addressed by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
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