Stray dog menace even in Museum and Zoological Park

The attacks of stray dogs are growing to the point of completely destroying the peace of the people. Five people who had come for a morning walk in the museum premises in Thiruvananthapuram were bitten by a rabid dog ​​the other day. The stray dog ​​was confirmed to be rabid during an examination conducted at the Institute for Animal Diseases in Palode. The attack took place around 8 am on those who had come for a walk in the museum premises. Five people were bitten on their hands and feet. One person suffered a deep wound. The stray dog ​​that bit the people is dead. No one knows whether the same dog has bitten other dogs there. In this situation, the morning walk in the museum premises has become a nightmare for the residents of the capital.

Following the incident, the corporation staff arrived in a vehicle and caught two dogs. Five dogs have escaped to various places. Regular walkers say that such an attack has happened because the authorities have not taken action against the stray dog ​​problem in the museum area near the corporation building, despite repeated complaints. There is no shortage of dogs roaming around not only in the museum premises but also in other busy junctions and tourist attractions in the city. Bringing food items into the museum premises has been completely banned as part of preventing attacks from stray dogs. This alone cannot solve the problem there. The municipal authorities should take urgent steps to catch stray dogs on a large scale, sterilise them, put them in shelters and vaccinate them.

It is now functioning as a system that wakes up only after dog bites are reported. The Supreme Court last week directed the local bodies to take strong measures to curb the stray dog ​​menace. It is unfortunate that the government has not yet started any vigorous efforts to curb the stray dog ​​menace despite this order. There are about nine lakh stray dogs in the state according to the Animal Husbandry Department. Hospital records indicate that the number of people bitten by dogs in the state has increased threefold in the last ten years. This year, 2.52 lakh people have been bitten by stray dogs till August 31 alone. In this context, local bodies should initiate a vigorous campaign under the supervision of the government to address the stray dog ​​problem in the state.

Sterilisation is a practically and scientifically proven effective way to control stray dog ​​infestation. Animal Birth Control (ABC), a project to reduce the breeding of stray dogs, has not progressed sufficiently in Kerala. This is the main reason why the stray dog ​​infestation is increasing day by day. Locals are opposing the establishment of ABC centres, and it is not right to continue without solving this problem. The current situation, where many people, including small children, are bitten every day, should not continue. Ten deer were killed by a pack of stray dogs that entered the Puthur Zoological Park in Thrissur, which the Chief Minister inaugurated two weeks ago. If such parks are built in a way that dogs can roam freely, in the future, there will be no other animals there except dogs.