Buxa Tiger Reserve has intensified vaccination and deworming of free-ranging dogs in villages along its forest boundary as preparations continue for a proposed tiger reintroduction in the landscape. The campaign is aimed at reducing the risk of infectious diseases spreading from unvaccinated dogs to tigers and other wildlife.
A 12-member team from the Society for Protecting Ophiofauna and Animal Rights conducted the latest drive over the weekend in Jayanti, 28 Mile, 29 Mile and Santalabari. These villages adjoin forest areas and are part of the wider wildlife–domestic animal interface around the reserve.
The team covered 247 free-ranging dogs with deworming treatment and anti-rabies vaccination. On Sunday, another 197 dogs received DHPPiL vaccines. The campaign is scheduled to continue, with more dogs in forest-fringe communities expected to be included.
According to SPOAR, the programme’s central objective is to reduce the possibility of infectious diseases being transmitted from free-ranging or unvaccinated dogs to wild animals. Such transmission can pose a potential threat to wild carnivores and other wildlife, making disease prevention an important part of wildlife health management.
The initiative is being implemented in collaboration with the Buxa Tiger Reserve and the West Bengal forest department. Mission Rabies and Worldwide Veterinary Services are providing technical and operational support. The participating organisations said wider vaccination coverage among free-ranging dogs would help reduce potential disease risks around the reserve’s forest edge.
The campaign forms part of preparations linked to the proposed reintroduction of tigers in Buxa. The report does not specify a confirmed date or final operational plan for bringing tigers back to the reserve. It establishes that health-risk management among domestic and free-ranging animals is being undertaken before any such reintroduction.
A separate organisation, the Saving Tiger Society, said it vaccinated 100 stray dogs during the first phase of its drive on September 15 and 16 along the edge of the tiger reserve. Together, the ongoing initiatives point to a coordinated focus on vaccination coverage in communities bordering the Buxa landscape. The current campaign is expected to continue on Monday, according to the organisations involved.
Source: https://urbanacres.in/buxa-tiger-reserve-steps-up-dog-vaccination-ahead-of-tiger-plan/