As many stray and rescued cattle rehabilitation centres across the city are running out of fodder, apart from irregular supply of animal feed, representatives from various organisations are worried that the extension of the lockdown would make it more difficult to maintain and run such centres.
Sunil Dugar, secretary, Akhila Karnataka Pranidaya Sangha (AKPS), that runs a gaushala in Koramangala, said they had over 1,100 rescued cattle and would soon run out of fodder. He also urged the government to take necessary steps to ensure that the supply chain of fodder and animal feed from villages to cities was not disturbed.
Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA) runs Large Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (LARRC) near Kengeri that houses over 125 large animals and also faces a similar problem. Sandhya Madappa of CUPA said maintaining cattle in urban areas amid such lockdowns and travel restrictions was a huge issue.
Organisations and individuals are facing challenges in sourcing food for stray and rehabilitated dogs. “Our rehab centres stopped getting chicken long ago. We are sourcing the same from across the city and transporting it. Before, we used to directly get it to our centres,” Ms. Madappa said.
CUPA is sourcing chicken and rice from across the city and cooking it. “We give to the volunteers and individuals who are feeding it to stray dogs. Over a thousand dogs are being fed in this way,” she said. Animal rights’ activist Arun Prasad said that lack of coordination between different government agencies was the main reason behind irregular fodder and other animal feed supply in the city.
