The vax drive underway near Buxa
A 12-member team of the Society for Protecting Ophiofauna and Animal Rights (SPOAR) conducted the vaccination and deworming drive over the weekend in villages adjoining forest areas, including Jayanti, 28 Mile, 29 Mile and Santalabari. A total of 247 free-ranging dogs were covered during the drive, receiving deworming treatment and anti-rabies vaccination (ARV).
One of the key objectives of the initiative is to minimise the risk of infectious diseases being transmitted to wildlife by unvaccinated or free-ranging dogs living in and around the forest landscape, according to SPOAR. Such disease transmission can pose a potential threat to wild carnivores and other wildlife, making disease prevention an important component of wildlife health management.
The ongoing effort is expected to improve vaccination coverage among free-ranging dogs in forest-fringe communities and contribute to reducing potential disease risks at the wildlife–domestic animal interface.