Each year in Nepal, approximately 32,000 people are treated for dog bites. About 200 people, mostly children, die from rabies each year.
Signs of rabies can appear days, weeks, or even months after exposure to the virus. Symptoms vary but typically include unusual behavior. A strange, intense stare is common, as are aggressive behavior, agitation, and anxiety. Rabid dogs often bite anything near them, including cage bars and even water poured toward them. In later stages, rabid animals have difficulty swallowing and may have saliva dripping from their mouths.
In Kathmandu and other parts of Nepal, stray dog bites are the most common way to contract rabies. Scratches from infected dogs can also transmit the rabies virus.
This is why vaccination campaigns are of vital importance, both to protect human and animal populations against the virus.
09/28/23 celebrates World Rabies Day.
Members of the “Red Panda Communities,” supported by the RPN and the CPPR, have made colossal efforts to catch and vaccinate a large number of stray dogs. In Panchtar, Ramesh Rai and his colleagues have used ingenuity to attract the dogs to them: food, gentle approach… but it is not without risks! Indeed, these animals have little direct contact with humans on a daily basis, they can be aggressive. A bite or any other injury can have multiple consequences in these isolated regions: infections, disability, transmission of diseases…
The task is difficult, and one must be patient and vigilant. However, the locals are not discouraged, far from it! They operate at very high altitudes, in places where red pandas and dogs are likely to cross paths. The objective in the Panchtar district is to vaccinate some 400 dogs against rabies. Cats living in these areas will also be entitled to this protective injection.
We know that villagers lack the equipment to handle dogs more safely during these campaigns. We therefore decided, in collaboration with our local partners, to collect and transport what could be useful on site.
We share with you these few images where you will recognize Ramesh Rai in action!
These images perfectly illustrate everyone's involvement in the actions carried out on the roof of the world, while respecting animals. Congratulations to all these people for actively taking action, despite the difficulties, to protect wildlife and local communities.
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