SOS: The feral (homeless) Indian Dog

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” Mahatma Gandhi

A feral (homeless) dog in the wilderness of Nubra valley near the mouth of Siachen Glacier. Pic: Azam

Unfortunately a pack of India's frustrated and elite minds in Wildlife Conservation think, preach and are allegedly involved in killing animals silently, more specifically the 'Homeless Indian Dog' which they term as 'feral'.

They believe 'killing' is the ultimate solution.

A 'Feral' animal (from Latin fera, "a wild beast") is an animal living in the wild but descended from domesticated individuals. (Source: Wikipedia)

Note that this animal never came on its own into the wild but DESCENDED FROM DOMESTICATED INDIVIDUALS.

India's wildlife for many years has co-existed with the human population, whether it is centuries old tribal villages or the encroacher habitats in and around protected wildlife areas that tend to increase in several folds every year shrinking the forest cover.

Corruption and lack of political will to address the eradication of human footprints from within India's protected wildlife areas has been a miserable failure.

When a human habitat comes up in the wilderness it does not just comprise of human beings alone.

Domesticated animals or companion animals form an integral part of such habitats.

Enter into any such habitat and you are bound to witness heads of cattle & livestock, packs of dogs, poultry, pigs and other animals.

With a ZERO mechanism of any Government policy on vaccination or sterilization of such animals in and around the fringe areas this has snowballed now into a situation where the population of homeless (feral) dogs has allegedly started attacking the fragile eco system which is directly resulting on the toll of wild animals.

Now the question arises that if the Government has failed to put in a mechanism to address this serious issue, what were the thousands of NGOs & biologists in question doing?

Didn't they anticipate this?

It is a known fact that domesticated animal populations from human settlements in and around wildlife areas do increase the potential for pathogen transmission into wild animals.

A recent study last year by the 'Wildlife Vets International' has shown that Tigers in the Wild are at risk from getting infected with CDV (Canine Distemper Virus) from homeless dogs.

No sooner did I get to read of this new finding, my fear for the worst that a knee jerk reaction to this by India's wildlife stakeholders could call for mass CULLING of the dogs got me into the act of writing out to the WVI (Wildlife Vets International) and seek their opinion to solving this problem.

WVI was prompt to respond immediately.

In their response email dated 13th June' 2013, Olivia Walter of WVI (Wildlife Vets International) had this to say:

"our current idea is to vaccinate dogs in and around national parks to create a protective barrier to the disease.

Culling the dogs would create a vacuum in which other dogs would arrive, potentially with new diseases that we hadn't seen in the area.
We would also like to neuter the dogs in some way - either surgically or with a newly developed vaccine. This would reduce the number of new dogs entering the area."

Belinda Wright, eminent leader for Asia's wildlife conservation and Executive Director, Wildlife Protection Society of India in her response says, "There are many government departments and projects that this could come under, and NGOs working on animal welfare issues … There must be someone out there who can make it happen".

Considering the fact that most of the organisations working with wildlife face a universal funding problem and are too busy combating poaching and habitat destruction to add disease threat to their list, irrespective of whether they think it is a problem, this and issues such as these have to be a COLLECTIVE approach.

To start with one solution that Olivia suggests is: "The one thing that would be good is to ensure that all rabies vaccination clinics are vaccinating against distemper at the same time. If you are able to help in that direction, that would be a start!

We are a small charity that provides expertise to organisations already working on the ground.

We aren't working much in India at the moment but have entered into discussion with Wildlife Institute of India."

Now at a time when a faraway small charity organisation that cares for Indian Tigers has reached out to the Wildlife Institute of India, isn't there something positive that collectively Indian charity organisations working both for wildlife and urban animals can do?

What about approaching NTCA (National Tiger Conservation Authority) and suggesting that they seek advice from WVI on how to tackle this problem?

What about the Wildlife NGOs and wildlife biologists coordinating with the WII to figure out how best they could contribute on this?

What about approaching the AWBI (Animal Welfare Board of India) and suggesting that they generate funds for massive vaccination drive and include homeless animals of wild areas in their policy as well?

There is a lot this country can do than just dance to the tunes of a handful of misguided short cut, knee jerk solution savvy conservationists who have announced a WAR on these homeless (feral) animals by propagating their CULL which is being allegedly on in large numbers.

I appeal to all those concerned, act together and use the beautiful mind that each one has been blessed with and you certainly shall find solutions.

A Rhino deprived of its horn is no longer a Rhino

She has reared 15 orphaned Black Rhinos and more than 150 Elephants, and is the first person in the world to perfect a suitable milk formula and the husbandry necessary to hand rear the orphaned Black Rhino calves, her expertise in this field has saved many others elsewhere in Africa.
Has trained several Veterinarians and animal people across the world and Indian organisations as too many of whom are presently engaged on the ground for the conservation and treatment of Assam's wildlife which includes the wild population of Great Indian Rhinoceros and Elephants in Assam.
A living legend having worked intimately with Rhinos and Elephants in the wild for 56 years, Dr.Dame Daphne Sheldrick DBE, has come out to voice strongly for the helpless Rhinos of Assam whose fate is hanging in the hands of the state Government's  intention to launch a pilot project of dehorning (trimming) rhinos.
Despite being hectically busy due to the current escalation in the poaching of both Elephants and Rhinos in Kenya, (with some 76 orphaned elephants still Keeper Dependent) and still recovering from a pinched nerve in the neck which has rendered her dysfunctional,  Daphne who has always been a keen observer of wildlife conservation & crimes in Assam  and has time and again been advising the authorities concerned on the various issues, has now come out on a vehement defense against the proposed dehorning of Rhinos in the state. She says:

"Regarding the proposal to dehorn the Rhinos in Assam, in my opinion this would be disastrous.   If evolution has not removed the horn from rhinos over millennia, it surely means that the horns are essential to their existence and survival.   Dehorning a rhino is emasculating it, depriving it of its means of defense and part of their anatomy upon which they devote an enormous amount of time, shaping, sharpening etc.   It is their identity.   Removing it will dent their confidence to such an  extent that a dehorned Bull rhino will never be confident and fertile to breed.
A Rhino deprived of its horn is no longer a Rhino.
I personally am dead against such a move and having hand-reared some 15 orphaned rhinos, I do know them intimately." 

(Unaware of a dark future that may rob her of its horn as an adult, a baby rhino calf grazes at the Kaziranga National Park, Assam. Pic: Azam)

The desperate call to dehorn Assam's rhinos has also seen several other experts voicing their concern. 

Belinda Wright OBE, Executive Director of the Wildlife Protection Society of India, India's leading wildlife crusader who has been battling wildlife crime on the ground for several years does feel that the expert committee which the Government of Assam has set up to study the pros and cons of de-horning rhinos as a measure to curb poaching, will do a thorough job. However her personal opinion about dehorning is: 

"Personally, I am against the de-horning of wild rhinos.
Apart from the risks involved to the animal, this is not an effective way to curb poaching, whereas intelligence-led enforcment is. Rhino poachers are specialised hunters, as are the specialised traders of rhino horns, and it is not an insurmountable problem for dedicated, well-trained enforcement teams to track down the worst offenders that operate in the four rhino habitats of Assam - Kaziranga, Pobitora, Manas, and Orang. This is what is needed, rather than a temporary band-aid effort of "trimming" rhino horns, which will only grow back again in a few months. We should also remember that tranquilising a rhino, in order to cut its horn, is not without risks to the animal. If excellent protection measures are put into place and sustained, including intelligence-led enforcement and a network of informers, this will be the best long-term investment that Assam could make to preserve it's magnificent natural heritage. The State must send out a clear message that rhino poaching will not be tolerated, under any circumstances. The motivation for poachers is huge, and this must be matched by the motivation of the people of Assam to protect their rhinos for future generations. This is an animal that came back from the brink of disaster a hundred years ago, and there is no reason why this level of protection cannot be achieved again.
An essential tool of good enforcement and intelligence-gathering is the thorough investigation of past rhino poaching cases. Every lead, every detail and in particular every person known to have been involved in rhino poaching should be exhaustively investigated and monitored. And it goes without saying that no amount of enforcement will be an effective deterrent against rhino poaching unless this is complimented by swift action against offenders in the courts. We need solid case documentation and appropriate convictions to stem these crimes."

Merritt Clifton, senior investigative reporter and editor of 'Animal People' has been closely following up issues involving Rhino conservation across the globe. He has also spent years observing the fate of dehorned Rhinos in the African continent. In his personal opinion:

"Historically this (dehorning) has just been a pretext for corrupt officials to get control of rhino horn & sell it,  before poachers can.
As dehorning apparently reduces rhino breeding activity, it can be counter-productive when the goal is to rebuild a depleted population.
I can tell you that I think dehorning is just another way to not solve the poaching problem." 

Merritt also pointed out the fact that allowing private rhino ranchers to dehorn their rhinos in South Africa in 2010 immediately preceded a major escalation of poaching ('Fears of Canned Rhino Hunting'), and why Rhino dehorning project in Zimbabwe had to stop (Zimbabwe: Rhino Dehorning Stopped). 

Johnny Rodriguez, who heads the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, which has done more to keep wildlife alive during the past 15 years than every other NGO in the nation favors poisoning rhino horn to discourage use although he does not favour dehorning.
In his message, Johnny writes:

"I don't believe trimming or dehorning the rhinos is the best way forward. In Zimbabwe, we have dehorned rhinos and they are still killed by poachers. They shoot the dehorned rhinos and dig out the small stump of horn left after the dehorning. If they are poaching at night, they can't tell if the rhino has been dehorned or not until they have shot it dead so what is the point? Besides that, rhinos need their horns for feeding, protection and for lifting their young.
I believe the best thing to do is to inject pesticide into the horn. This has been tried in South Africa. The pesticide doesn't harm the rhino but if a human consumes it, it can make them very ill or even kill them. Sign boards can be erected warning poachers that the horns are poisoned and I believe this will detract them." 

The Born Free Foundation, a dynamic international wildlife charity, devoted to compassionate conservation and animal welfare has also come out in defense of the Assam Rhino Rhinos.
Gabriel Fava, Programmes Officer of Born Free has forwarded the following message which was sent to the Government of Assam:

"In the wake of the recent upsurge in rhino poaching in both Asia and Africa, dehorning has been presented as a potential poaching deterrent. The Born Free Foundation urges the government of Assam to exercise extreme caution in its consideration of dehorning as a solution to rhino poaching, as serious concerns continue to dominate the debate over the validity of this management technique.

These include the extent to which dehorning actually deters poachers, given the stub and re-growth value; and the concern that poaching would simply be displaced rather than eliminated, with additional pressure being placed on areas which do not institute dehorning programmes. Born Free is also aware of the high financial and animal welfare costs of regularly locating, and tranquilizing rhinos for horn removal; and the poor understanding and dearth of data on the impacts of dehorning on the individual animal.

At Born Free we think that a more effective approach to curb rhino poaching should focus efforts on improving field protection, strengthening law enforcement through closer local and interstate collaboration between relevant government agencies; supporting existing initiatives and commitments (eg. CITES Decisions http://www.cites.org/eng/dec/valid16/217 ); and bringing to bear all possible diplomatic pressure so that rhino horn consumer countries institute comprehensive demand reduction strategies and target illegal trade networks."

The rhino dehorning issue is a highly complex and controversial one about which not enough is known or understood by the State of Assam or those experts who have coined this idea.
More research and a better understanding of the various components and interrelated nature of this issue was needed.
This was an initiative in the interest of the Rhino to gather opinions from people who have spent a lifetime with Rhinos and have dealt with the issue of Rhino dehorning.

I firmly believe in what the experts above have said, indeed "A Rhino deprived of its horn is no longer a Rhino".

So let the Rhino stay a Rhino forever. Gear up your best resources Government of Assam and if the heart of your political will does actually bleed for the Rhinos, I am sure you can protect it without robbing its horn.

Please do write to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Assam (pccf.wl.assam@gmail.com) endorsing the views of the dignified experts above and be a voice for the beleaguered Rhino of Assam.