Chennai’s stray dog population may touch one lakh next year
The Hindu
GCC begins stray dog census, drive to administer anti-rabies vaccine; 303 dogs vaccinated on first day. Teams of vets, dog catchers, assistants, and volunteers to vaccinate approx. 910 dogs daily; last census in 2018 showed 57,366 stray dogs; 30% surge expected this year.
Aiming to control the stray dog population after recent incidents of city residents complaining, the Greater Chennai Corporation’s Veterinary Public Health wing has begun a stray dog census and a drive to administer the anti-rabies vaccine.
The drive commenced on Monday, November 27, in Royapuram (Division 49 under Zone 5), with Corporation Commissioner J. Radhakrishnan along with City Health Officer M. Jagadeesan and Veterinary Officer J. Kamal Hussain, veterinary doctors and volunteers from the Madras Veterinary College. It is expected to continue for about 120 days and the GCC will also invite willing volunteers to join in the exercise.
On the first day, 303 dogs were administered the vaccine and parasiticide, GCC officials said. “More dogs are expected to be identified and vaccinated per day as drives are expected to begin from 8 a.m. and several volunteers associated with the Corporation will join from Tuesday, November 28,” an official said.
Each operational team is equipped with a veterinarian, four dog catchers, two assistants, a hired vehicle, and a driver. With a calculated capacity to vaccinate approximately 130 stray dogs per day, the seven teams aim to vaccinate around 910 stray dogs daily. The inoculation will include the administration of ivermectin against ecto and endoparasites
The last stray dog census was conducted in 2018, and the number was then 57,366. In 2019, the Corporation started vaccination under a special programme and when it was completed in March 2020, as many as 68,577 dogs received vaccinations.
The Corporation anticipates a 10% annual increase in the stray dog population, which will result in a 30% surge over three years, bringing the total number of stray dogs to roughly 93,000 this year. However, the actual number will be only determined after the census is completed.
When fed into Latin, pusilla comes out denoting “very small”. The Baillon’s crake can be missed in the field, when it is at a distance, as the magnification of the human eye is woefully short of what it takes to pick up this tiny creature. The other factor is the Baillon’s crake’s predisposition to present less of itself: it moves about furtively and slides into the reeds at the slightest suspicion of being noticed. But if you are keen on observing the Baillon’s crake or the ruddy breasted crake in the field, in Chennai, this would be the best time to put in efforts towards that end. These birds live amidst reeds, the bulrushes, which are likely to lose their density now as they would shrivel and go brown, leaving wide gaps, thereby reducing the cover for these tiddly birds to stay inscrutable.
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