CUTTACK: Injured or sick cows and bulls in Cuttack can now receive on-site medical support, with the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) launching an Animal Ambulance on Sunday.
Donated by the GS Helping Hands Foundation at a cost of `15 lakh, the modern hydraulic ambulance features a power lift system to safely load sick cows and bulls and transport them for treatment, reducing manual handling and stress on the animals. The vehicle is specially designed for livestock with key components like hydraulic cylinder, battery pack, specialised ramps and standing support for efficient emergency response.
There are more than 2,500 stray bulls and around 10,000 stray cows and calves in the city. Often, the bovines face accidents while moving on the road and are found lying unattended on the roadside. Sometimes, people from the nearby localities just arrange a makeshift shed to shelter the injured animals and struggle to get them to the hospital for treatment.
Identifying the owners of injured or distressed livestock has been a major challenge and thus, they are left unattended for a long period. However, public can now report any injured or sick and distressed cattle to CMC through tollfree no 18003456728 or CMC control room no 0671-2310472. The CMC will provide the ambulance service free of cost, said assistant commissioner Swati Mishra.
“For the time-being, the injured or sick cattle will be shifted to nearby ashram or gaushala by the ambulance for receiving necessary treatment. We are planning to engage a veterinary doctor to take care of the injured or sick and distressed cattle,” said Mishra. The ambulance was flagged off by mayor Subhas Singh in the presence of CMC commissioner Kirandeep Kaur Sahota and representatives of GS Helping Hands Foundation.