Tadoba scales up dog-control drive after NTCA alert

Chandrapur: Long before the recent canine distemper outbreak in Madhya Pradesh's Kanha Tiger Reserve triggered alarm, the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) management in Maharashtra had already begun implementing proactive measures to shield its tiger population from disease threats posed by stray and feral dogs.Following the National Tiger Conservation Authority's (NTCA) renewed advisory after death of a Kanha tigress and her four cubs due to Canine Distemper Virus (CDV), Tadoba's ongoing sterilisation and vaccination campaign has emerged as a model of preventive wildlife management.Launched in January 2026, the special drive covers all 95 villages in Tadoba's buffer zone and is being carried out jointly by TATR authorities, People for Animals (Wardha), and Wild CER. The initiative aligns with NTCA's long-standing standard operating procedures for controlling dog populations around tiger reserves.So far, 2,365 dogs have been vaccinated across Tadoba's buffer villages, including 1,945 sterilised and vaccinated by People for Animals and 420 by Wild CER. Officials said only seven to eight villages remain, with full coverage expected by June.Field director PN Shukla said the programme addresses both conservation and health concerns. "We have started serotyping of serums collected from stray and feral dogs. SOP is being established so that, in the event of any outbreak, information reaches the management and vet team immediately ," he said.