Now Reading: Over 2,950 dogs sterilised to save Black-necked Cranes in Ladakh
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Over 2,950 dogs sterilised to save Black-necked Cranes in Ladakh
The Bombay Natural History Society, along with the Indian Army and local government departments, has sterilised over 2,950 free-ranging dogs in Ladakh to protect the vulnerable Black-necked Crane. The initiative, launched in…
The Story in Brief
The Bombay Natural History Society, along with the Indian Army and local government departments, has sterilised over 2,950 free-ranging dogs in Ladakh to protect the vulnerable Black-necked Crane. The initiative, launched in 2022, targets dogs that kill crane chicks and disrupt nesting in alpine wetlands. The team recorded 19 breeding pairs of the state bird in June 2026.
A pilot waste-management project at army outposts aims to cut food waste that sustains dog populations. The BNHS has also trained 1,000 armed forces personnel in conservation. The Black-necked Crane, a cultural symbol of Ladakh, has a global population of roughly 11,000, 12,000, with fewer than 100 in India.
The Indian Opinion
This effort rightly focuses on a concrete ecological threat rather than chasing abstract targets. The usual noise about development versus environment misses the point: here, the Indian Army and a conservation group worked together with measurable results. The real test will be whether the wetlands can sustain a rise in crane numbers after dog populations decline. Annual crane counts in June will settle the question.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
