Latest news with #DepartmentofAnimalHusbandry
The Hindu
28-05-2025
- The Hindu
Over 700 bulls take part in Thammampatti jallikattu in Salem district
Over 450 tamers and 700 bulls took part in the Jallikattu held at Thammampatti in the Gangavalli block on Wednesday. The arena was filled with coir pith to ensure the safety of both the tamers and the bulls. District Collector R. Brindha Devi flagged off the event, and the tamers were administered a pledge before the event commenced. The temple bull was the first to be released through the vaadivasal and was allowed to run freely. Subsequently, the bulls were released and tamers showcased their skills in attempting to tame them. Bulls were brought from nearby villages and districts, including Mullukurichi, Tiruchi, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Madurai, Pattukottai, and a few others. Prizes and gifts were awarded to both the successful tamers and the bulls. Only bulls certified fit by veterinarians from the Department of Animal Husbandry were allowed to participate. The event continued until 4.30 p.m., after which prizes were distributed to the winners. A large number of police personnel were deployed to prevent any untoward incidents.
The Hindu
22-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Vellore Corpn. begins vaccination programme for community dogs
: In coordination with the Department of Animal husbandry, the Vellore Corporation kick-started anti-rabies vaccination and sterilisation programme for community dogs as per the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules 2001 on Thursday. Corporation officials said that the aim was to reduce the risk of rabies and manage the growing stray dog population in the town. Collector V.R. Subbulaxmi launched the drive in the presence of Mayor Sujatha Anandakumar and Corporation Commissioner P. Janaki Raveendran at the veterinary clinic in the town. 'The first phase of the drive is meant to vaccinate identified community dogs, mainly in Vellore town, before sterilisation is introduced. Along with Corporation health officials, a detailed schedule for the drive will be made in the coming days,' G. Anduvan, Assistant Director, Department of Animal Husbandry (Vellore), said. As per estimates, the Corporation has identified more than 37,000 community dogs as against 9,000 dogs a decade ago within its four zones, covering all 60 wards in the town. The Department of Animal Husbandry also shortlisted around 15,000 community dogs in villages in the district. Veterinarians said growth of population and lack of basic facilities has resulted in congested residential colonies in the town that further led to the proliferation of community dogs. As per study, the town witnesses around 1.5 lakh population every day. Most community dogs were found in crowded areas such as bus terminus, railway stations, markets, schools and Corporation offices. As per plan, deworming, anti-rabiesvaccination and vaccines for skin diseases will be administered. On an average, 20 dogs will be treated at identified spots in each zone within Corporation limits. Training will be imparted to Corporation health workers to handle community dogs and vaccinate them. Vaccination will also be done at four veterinary clinics in the town. Corporation officials said the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Centre, which was built in 2009, is under renovation. The restoration of the centre, which will be completed in June, includes setting up of surgical theatres and other infrastructure facilities. Once re-opened, a full-fledged sterilisation of community dogs will be carried out at the refurbished centre. Till then, veterinary and health clinics, and Corporation ward offices will be used to vaccinate the animals.
New Indian Express
06-05-2025
- New Indian Express
Unique ID tag for ponies for Amarnath Yatra
SRINAGAR: Ahead of the annual Amarnath Yatra — which begins on July 3 — the authorities concerned have begun the process to register and tag the horses used by pony ride operators for ferrying pilgrims and their goods to the Amarnath cave with unique ID numbers. The process of registration and tagging of ponies started at the Amarnath Yatra base camp at Nunwan in Pahalgam on Monday. Mushtaq Ahmed Bhat, Veterinary Assistant Surgeon, Department of Animal Husbandry (Kashmir), said the pony owners have to undergo a proper procedure to have their horses tagged. 'Once police verification is done, the Labour Department issues a number to them. Based on that, the pony is registered,' he said. All details of the ponies and their owners are mentioned in the unique ID, which is uploaded on a website, so that the animals and their operators can be easily identified. The tagging of ponies is one of the security measures the authorities are taking to ensure a safe and smooth conduct of the yatra.
The Hindu
29-04-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Vaccination drive against PPR for 4.5 lakh goats in Vellore, nearby districts
A month-long free vaccination drive against peste des petits ruminants (PPR) disease for more than 4.5 lakh goats and sheep by veterinary teams to goat sheds in Vellore, Ranipet, Tirupattur and Tiruvannamalai commenced on Tuesday. In her order, Collector said that the vaccination drive was aimed to prevent any outbreak of the disease due to prevailing extreme heat in the district. Under the Livestock Health and Disease Control Scheme (LHDCP) 2025-26, the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries will cover around 1.4 lakh goats and sheep in Vellore alone as part of the drive. 'The second phase of the drive will focus on newborns as they are not resistant to the virus. Goats and sheep that are four-month-old and above are eligible for the vaccine, which is done annually. The drive will be completed on May 28,' said Dr. G. Anbuvan, Assistant Director (AD), Department of Animal Husbandry (Vellore). As per norms under the National Digital Livestock Mission Blueprint, vaccinated animals will be equipped with bar-coded ear tags with vaccination details. The Collector urged dairy farmers to take part in the drive. Among districts, Tiruvannamalai has the highest number of over 1.5 lakh goats, followed by Ranipet (1.5 lakh) and Vellore (1.3 lakh). As part of the drive, medical teams will visit beneficiaries to vaccinate animals in the sheds every day. Each team comprises a doctor, livestock inspector and a attendent. Officials said that the PPR disease was caused by a highly virulent strain of viruses transmitted through urine, tears and manure of infected animals. Affected sheep will develop lesions on the mouth, tongue and gums. Goats will have watery eyes, nose and mouth along with sneezing and cough. Animals will also be prone to respiratory problems, high body temperature. It will result in low productivity.
New Indian Express
27-04-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
Footprints of the yak: The man who has spent four decades preserving Sikkim's lifeline
SIKKIM : Anyone who knows Sikkim is also fascinated by the yaks – the lifeline of the highlanders. However, not many know about their protectors. One such conservator is Passang Tshering Bhutia. For the past four decades, he has been working tirelessly to save the yaks and preserve the traditions related to them, often braving sub-zero temperatures. Yak herders say he has no replacement. Recognising his contributions on the ground, the state government gave him a two-year extension on his post. Bhutia, an Assistant Director in the Department of Animal Husbandry, was born and raised in Gangtok. He started his career as a livestock assistant in 1987 when he was posted in Lachen, a remote town in North Sikkim. He fell in love with the place and the people and never sought an urban posting. Bhutia noticed how locals reared yaks in the high-altitude areas. The place had neither transportation facilities nor electricity. The climate was also extremely harsh. However, these challenges could not dampen the young man's spirit. He would often set out for the mountains, trekking long distances and setting up camps to work with the yak herders. It did not take long for him to build a strong relationship with them. His efforts have always been focused on increasing their income. The region and its people were virtually unexplored. They had their yak-rearing traditions, stories and lifestyle, but these were slowly fading as young people were not interested in the hard work required for yak farming. Bhutia decided to go beyond his official duties to protect the yaks and preserve these traditions. He began working overtime, caring little about the usual 10 am to 5 pm work schedule. Normally, the department's activities were limited to treating yaks and Tibetan sheep, vaccinating them, and managing basic needs. 'Those days, Lachen had no traces of modernisation. The climate was harsh, often below freezing. There was no economic viability in yak-rearing. Youngsters were not interested and yak farming was slowly dying,' recalls Bhutia. He got associated with various institutes including the ICAR-National Research Centre on Yak. He aimed to modernise yak farming by moving away from traditional methods and taking yak milk and milk products to urban markets to make yak-rearing economically viable. As he started working towards value addition, he also made efforts to integrate yaks with tourism for benefit of locals. Bhutia motivated the locals to work towards the conservation of yaks and helped them find urban markets where they could sell yak meat, milk, and by-products. Before his posting in Lachen, the yak population of North Sikkim was about 9,000-10,000. It later dropped to 4,000 but has now risen again and is about to touch the 7,000-mark. He says that every ban on grazing takes some herders away from yaks. 'Yaks are a perennial source of milk, including powdered milk, meat, ghee, butter, whey, and steamed milk. We tried to introduce chhurpi (cottage cheese) to tourists but after browsing the internet, some people discovered it is also used as a dog chew abroad. Some exported it and found that dogs liked it. So now, we are thinking about a futuristic version of chhurpi. We plan to work with a technological institute to offer flavoured chhurpi and make its texture softer. We are also selling yak milk soup and working on yak milk coffee,' says Bhutia. Yak milk is highly nutritious. It is rich in fat, contains essential minerals, and has medicinal value. Traditional yak milk products are central to the cuisine of the highlanders. The meat of yak is considered very lean and healthier than beef. According to the latest count, India has an estimated yak population of 58,000, mostly found in Sikkim, Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh. Bhutia says yak wool, which is a natural moult, has a great future along with yak wool fiber used to make tents and ropes. He mentions that Norlha, a Chinese luxury brand, sells yak wool-products worldwide. Stressing the urgent need for yak conservation, he says if yaks are not saved, it will impact the local economy, biodiversity, and ecosystem. 'If camels disappear from the deserts, the ecosystem there would be destroyed. Similarly, yaks and Tibetan sheep are crucial for maintaining the biodiversity and ecosystem of high-altitude areas,' he explains. 'Yaks help control soil erosion. They assist in seed dispersal and pollination. Their dung and urine act as natural manure. They don't graze but browse, which helps seeds germinate. They are an organic animal. Yaks naturally follow a free-grazing pattern and are never tied. They are not given any concentrate feed. They eat grass and produce less milk, but it is organic,' Bhutia says.
