HYDERABAD: Soaring temperatures may not be the only cause of worry for Hyderabadis this summer. The dreaded dog bites and monkey menace are some of the others. But relax. The GHMC teams are gearing up to tackle these aggressive animals as well as the increase in cases that are set to be reported during the summer. Monkeys continue to be a cause of concern for residents of Secunderabad, Amberpet, Osmania University and University of Hyderabad (UoH) areas, to name a few, in the city. The groups of 10-15 monkeys that parade together usually make their homes around fruit-bearing trees.
Last year alone there were around 200 monkeys that were caught across the city and reintegrated in Warangal and Adilabad forests. “There are about 15 monkeys with us already. The menace is less in Khairatabad zone when compared to other areas like Secunderabad,” said JD Wilson, Deputy Director GHMC veterinary division. “We will be writing a letter to the forest department and seek permission for catching monkeys for this season,” he added.
Provocation is the cause
Officials point out that the man-animal conflict arises mostly on provocation and with summer holidays coming up children who stay back at home, usually, throw stones and other objects at them. This causes them to retaliate, they said. Meanwhile, even dog bite cases are increasing in the city with the national institute of preventive health medicine (NIPHM) getting busy. It is not just from the city that dog bite victims are lining up but also from neighbouring districts of Hyderabad.
“People from Mahbubnagar, Nagarkurnool and Vikarabad are coming to us in good numbers. It is because anti-rabies vaccine and other related treatment procedures are not available there,” said an official of NIPHM. The number of vaccines dispensed is around 300 to 350 every day and the numbers cross 500 once summer holidays come, informed officials. For dog or monkey bites, anti-rabies vaccine is to be administered.