Mass Vaccination of Stray Dogs in Panna Tiger Reserve

• 18 Nov 2024

Why in News?

To prevent the spread of Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) infection among wild animals, a mass vaccination campaign for stray dogs has been launched in and around Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR), Madhya Pradesh.

Key Points

• Canine Distemper Virus (CDV):
  • It is a highly contagious and potentially fatal viral infection affecting a dog’s respiratory, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems.
    • In 2015, one tiger and two leopards in PTR died due to CDV, highlighting the threat posed by the virus.
  • The aim is to curb the spread of CDV and protect wild animals in and around the reserve.
• Vaccination Plan:
  • Approximately 1,150 stray dogs in 36 forested villages in the buffer zone of PTR will be vaccinated.
  • The campaign will be carried out over three and a half months in two phases.
• Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR):
  • Panna National Park was established in 1981. It has a geographical extension in the districts of Panna and Chhatarpur.
    • This national park was declared as Tiger Reserve in the year 1994 by the Central Government.
  • UNESCO designated the Panna Tiger Reserve as a Biosphere Reserve on August 25, 2011.
  • PTR now houses 62 tigers and over 500 leopards, making it critical to safeguard them from infections.
  • Tiger Reintroduction:
    • PTR became famous for successfully reintroducing tigers after poaching wiped out the population in 2009.
    • The Panna Tiger Project began with three relocated tigers: two tigresses from Bandhavgarh and Kanha National Parks and a male tiger from Pench National Park.
    • Between 2009 and 2015, three additional tigresses and one male tiger were relocated to PTR from other national parks in Madhya Pradesh.
    • The tiger population in PTR has grown from zero in 2009 to 62 in 2024.

Kanha National Park

• It stretches over an area of 940 square km in the two districts - Mandla and Balaghat - of Madhya Pradesh.
• The present-day Kanha area was divided into two sanctuaries, Hallon and Banjar. Kanha National Park was created in 1955 and in 1973 was made the Kanha Tiger Reserve.
  • Kanha National Park is the largest National Park in Central India.

Pench National Park

• It is located in Nagpur District of Maharashtra and named after the pristine Pench River.
  • The Pench river flows right through the middle of the park.
  • It descends from north to south, thereby dividing the reserve into equal eastern and western parts.
• PTR is the joint pride of both Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
  • The Reserve is located in the southern reaches of the Satpura hills in the Seoni and Chhindwara districts in Madhya Pradesh, and continues in Nagpur district in Maharashtra as a separate Sanctuary.
• It was declared a National Park by the Government of Maharashtra in 1975 and the identity of a tiger reserve was granted to it in the year 1998-1999.
• However, PTR Madhya Pradesh was granted the same status in 1992-1993. It is one of the major Protected Areas of Satpura-Maikal ranges of the Central Highlands.
• It is among the sites notified as Important Bird Areas (IBA) of India.
  • The IBA is a programme of Birdlife International which aims to identify, monitor and protect a global network of IBAs for conservation of the world’s birds and associated diversity.