Ladakh is the largest union territory and also the highest plateau in India with most of it being over 10,000 feet in elevation. It is one of the least populated parts of the country, but it is having a real problem with dogs – feral dogs that is. Estimates are that at least 25,000 dogs roam freely around Ladakh.
The dogs – many of which carry diseases including rabies – are a threat to human health. Dog bites are on the rise and there have even been fatal attacks. But apart from their danger to humans, the dogs are having an overwhelming impact on wildlife. They hunt and harass wild animals and compete with them for limited resources. They often prey on livestock, but also chase down wild animals, dine on small mammals, and prowl around the nests of water birds. The dogs pose a huge challenge for the state bird of Ladakh, the black-necked crane.
Some of the free-ranging dogs in Ladakh are people’s pets that are allowed to roam on their own. Some are recent strays. But many come from generations of village dogs or feral dogs that have never had owners.
There is no easy solution. Culling stray dogs is generally illegal and besides, people love dogs. In India, compassion for animals is a strongly held value. There have been some sterilization campaigns aimed at reducing the birthrate of the dogs, but they have been slow and are too labor-intensive to make a real dent in the enormous population of the animals. Better waste management, targeted relocation, and educating the public to not feed the dogs can help. But the feral dogs in Ladakh are a big problem.
