Animal menace in Jharkhand as snakes, dogs on prowl

Ranchi, Feb 8 (IANS) The menace of animal bites is taking a heavy toll in Jharkhand with over a thousand people having died due to snake bites and more than 41,000 having been bitten by dogs, the state health department here said.

At least 1,178 people have been bitten by snakes during 2016 and 41,178 have been administered anti-rabies injection following dog bites, the health department has revealed.

"Maximum people who fall prey to snake venom live in the rural areas as snakes prefer to build their habitat around bushes and small forests. And thus the rural populace frequently comes in contact with the snakes," a health department official told IANS.

Most of the snake bite cases were recorded in Garhwa district -- where at least 283 people died -- and the least was recorded in Deoghar district where only one person died.

The cases mentioned here are those brought to government hospitals. The number of cases registered in private hospitals is not known.

Hope and Animal trust, an organisation which works for vaccination of dogs, observed that 50 per cent of dog bite cases were of those bitten by their pet dogs.

"Ninety per cent people in Ranchi do not get their dogs vaccinated. Out of nearly 15,000 dogs, unfortunately a mere 50 to 60 people have a licence from the municipal corporation," an official of the animal trust organisation told IANS.

According to an official of Ranchi Municipal Corporation, if people obtain a licence than it would also enable civic authorities to keep a record of vaccination. Moreover, it would also help increase the income of the municipal corporation.

In Ranchi alone, 200-250 people are, on an average, bitten by dogs daily. In January this year, 2,803 dog bite cases were received.

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