Twin crisis: Dog menace meets monkey mayhem in Solan dist

The Solan district is facing an alarming surge in animal bite cases, with 885 incidents reported in just the last two months. According to official data, a staggering 796 of these were dog bites, while the remaining 89 involved other animals such as monkeys. Though no rabies cases have been detected so far, health authorities remain on high alert.

“People must act immediately after a bite — wash the wound with soap and running water for at least 15 minutes and then rush to the nearest hospital,” advised Dr Amit Ranjan Talwar, Medical Officer, Solan. He added that victims are given a three-dose rabies immunisation and in cases where blood is drawn or skin is pierced, doctors administer anti-rabies serum directly into the wound as an added safeguard.

With stray dogs accounting for nearly all attacks, the Solan Municipal Corporation has begun sterilisation and vaccination of street dogs at its newly established Animal Birth Control (ABC) Centre. Operational since September 1, the centre is a state-of-the-art facility built at a cost of nearly Rs 45 lakh, featuring a fully equipped operation theatre, kennels, recovery units and a veterinary team from the Animal Husbandry Department. An additional Rs 12.57 lakh has been invested in advanced veterinary equipment.

In the past month alone, 71 dogs have been sterilised and vaccinated, while 14 more were captured just today for the procedure. “Sterilisation is the only legal and scientific method to control the stray dog population, since culling is prohibited,” said Commissioner Ekta Kapta. The urgency of this intervention is underscored by the rising trend: 10,457 dog bite cases were reported in 2022, 11,690 in 2023 and 12,377 in 2024.

However, while the dog menace is now being addressed, the problem of monkey attacks continues to grow unchecked. With no sterilisation campaign for simians in the district, their numbers have increased rapidly. Scarcity of food is driving them into residential areas, often leading to unprovoked attacks on the elderly, women and children.

While urban areas like Solan town now have access to sterilisation facilities, rural regions remain vulnerable. Without similar infrastructure, both stray dogs and monkeys continue to multiply, leaving villagers to suffer the brunt of their aggression.

For Solan, the message is clear: controlling the rising stray population through humane, scientific measures is no longer a choice, but a necessity.