Veterinarians issue warning after making alarming discoveries inside stray animals: 'Extremely harmful'
Though cows — revered in Hinduism for associations with Mother Earth and nourishment — are sacred to many people in India, local officials are concerned that human trash is causing harm to free-roaming bovines and other stray animals that eat garbage while foraging for food.
Speaking with Central India's The Hitavada, city veterinarians Vinod Dhoot and Gauri Fiske, of Nagpur, raised the alarm about health risks to animals that eat improperly dumped food and garbage.
Their concerns focused on plastics in the trash that stray animals consume alongside food waste. The doctors also noted that some foods are inappropriate for animals.
"People often throw leftover food outside in single-use plastic bags," Dhoot told the news outlet. "Stray animals end up eating both the food and the plastic. Leftovers like chapatis and rice with high carbohydrates, when consumed in large quantities by dogs or cows, lead to acidic indigestion. In milk-producing animals, this also affects their milk production."
The doctors noted that plastics can build up in cow stomachs over time. "Polythene remains in the rumen for a long time, often until the animal dies," Dhoot explained.
Garbage can also contain objects that cause animals immediate injuries and infections. "Sometimes, while eating waste, they accidentally swallow sharp objects like needles, nails, or screws," Dhoot said.
In the report, Fiske highlighted the risks of sanitary products, saying, "Stray dogs often come in contact with these, and it is extremely harmful for them."
Fiske blamed the problems on increased waste in the city, poor waste management and regulation of stray animals, and a lack of citizen responsibility, among other factors.
The problem of stray animals eating trash isn't limited to Nagpur — and it's connected to broader issues with waste plastics that are a concern for human health, as well.
In an article titled "Inside India's plastic cows: How sacred animals are left to line their stomachs with polythene," The Independent documented an estimated 60,000 cows that roam Delhi, with some consuming around 110 pounds of plastic.
Do you worry about how much food you throw away?
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Not really
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Yet it's not just stray animals that are troubled by plastic trash.
According to the United Nations, people produce about 507 million tons of plastic annually, with less than 10% of this getting recycled and 22% becoming litter.
Plastic doesn't fully degrade in the environment (at least not on a meaningful time scale), as it breaks into microplastics that are now found even in the remotest parts of the planet. Plastic production and disposal also contribute to heat-trapping pollution that warms the planet.
Though risks to human health are still being researched, plastics are ingested by people as well as by animals. They've been found in our blood and various parts of our bodies.
In The Hitavada report, the Nagpur vets advocated for greater local awareness of the effects of litter and waste. They argued that people can dispose of trash more responsibly and can reduce food waste while also reporting affected animals to officials or organizations that care for strays.
To counter the negative effects of plastic waste worldwide, individuals can find ways to use less plastic and support international efforts such as the U.N.-led work on a global plastics treaty.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
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