Rudraprayag (U'khand), May 12 (PTI) The ban on the use of horses and mules to ferry pilgrims on the Kedarnath trek route is being lifted gradually, with more than 3,000 equines sent to the Himalayan temple on Monday.

A temporary ban on the use of the animals was imposed nearly a week ago, after the deaths of 14 horses and mules on the route due to suspected Equine Influenza Virus Disease (EIVD) in a span of just two days.

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A total of 3,410 horses and mules left for Kedarnath on Monday, officials said here, adding that the ban on the equines on the pilgrimage route is now being gradually lifted.

A total of 1,670 horses and mules were sent for the yatra by the administration on Sunday.

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As a result of the ban, a large number of horses and mules were quarantined following the outbreak of the virus.

However, the situation has improved now and the ban is being lifted gradually, the officials said.

A few days ago, two horses and mules were sent to the shrine on a trial basis by the department concerned.

The trial was successful and no symptoms of the viral infection were found in the animals.

After this, the administration has started allowing the movement of animals found negative in the investigation report on the pilgrimage route in a phased manner.

However, the health check-up of all the animals is being done regularly and only those declared healthy and completely fit are being sent on the yatra route, the officials said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)