The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is now mulling a slew of measures to address the problems, resulting from displacement of stray dogs from urban areas and their getting dumped in and around tiger reserves. Initially, these activities will be undertaken in six tiger reserves of India, including Corbett tiger reserve in Uttarakhand.
The NTCA had held a meeting last month to discuss handling of stray dogs in and around tiger reserves. Stray dogs from cities are dumped in and around tiger reserves, resulting in their killing while also spawning the threat of the spread of diseases to wildlife, including tigers, through the stray dogs.
It was decided that a survey of stray dog population and prevalence of diseases in villages located inside tiger reserves and fringe areas up to a distance of two kilometres would be undertaken.
The NTCA would write to all municipal bodies located in the vicinity of tiger reserves, asking them to refrain from dumping stray dogs inside or near tiger reserves as it violates the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and is a punishable offence under the law.
As Animal Birth Control programme has to be implemented in the villages located inside tiger reserves and in fringe areas within a distance of two kilometres from the boundary of the tiger reserve, the field directors of the tiger reserves in consultation with the animal husbandry department/voluntary organisations will chalk out a programme for this besides dovetailing the resources.
Funding will be provided for prophylactic vaccination and ABC measures for stray dogs in and around tiger reserves under the ongoing centrally sponsored scheme of Project Tiger. The NTCA has also decided that special teams should be constituted in and around tiger reserves involving NGOs working for animal welfare to deal with the stray dog problem and that a standard operating procedure be developed for dealing with stray dogs in and around tiger reserve.
Initially, these measures will be implemented at Corbett in Uttarakhand, Ranthambhore in Rajasthan, Kahna and Panna in Madhya Pradesh, Mudumalai in Tamil Nadu and Tadoba-Andhari in Maharashtra.