THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, May 28: Palamu district is witnessing a sharp rise in dog-bite cases amid extreme heat, with children and elderly residents facing increased risk from stray dogs.
Residents say stray dog attacks have become common across Medininagar Municipal Corporation areas, with several localities reporting aggressive canine behaviour.
Civil Surgeon Dr Anil Kumar Sriwastwa said, “There have been 186 cases of dog bites alone in May till the 22nd day of this month in the whole of Palamu district.”
He added that from January to May 22, 2026, Palamu recorded 1,573 dog bite cases.
Heat triggering aggressive behaviour in stray dogs
According to Dr Sriwastwa, soaring temperatures and extreme weather conditions are contributing to the spike in dog attacks.
“Extreme heat and exhaustion drive a dog crazy that doesn’t mind biting people,” he said.
Health department sources said there have been no reports of dogs consuming human flesh, though multiple dog-bite incidents have been reported.
Palamu is considered a rabies-endemic region with a large stray dog population across urban and rural localities.
Residents complain of stray dog menace
A resident of Nawa Toli in Daltonganj, Mannu Ji, said, “There is a slum pocket. Here is a pack of at least half a dozen stray dogs. These stray dogs give chase to any biker or scooterist without any provocation.”
Doctors have advised residents not to ignore even minor scratches from dogs.
“A scratch or a bite of dog calls for anti-rabies vaccination without fail,” Dr Sriwastwa said, adding that “neither of these two can be ignored at all.”
He also warned against stitching dog bite wounds immediately.
“A dog bite victim does wash the dog bite wound, but in a very inadequate manner. A dog bite wound is to be washed with running water for a minimum of 20 minutes,” he informed.
Doctors stress timely anti-rabies vaccination
On delays in taking the first anti-rabies vaccine dose, Dr Sriwastwa said, “Promptness in having the first dose of anti-rabies vaccine shot is life-friendly, but where the delay appears to be inevitable, then a delay of a couple of days is not harmful, but at no cost, the anti-rabies vaccine is to be missed.”
Meanwhile, Manish Singh, in-charge of NGO The Care of Animals and Society, said the organisation conducts sterilisation drives for stray dogs.
“We do castration of male and female dogs both. Once castrated the dogs are released in the same area from where it was picked,” he said.
However, local residents have objected to the return of sterilised dogs to their neighbourhoods.
Singh said, “The locals abuse and intimidate the team.”
He added that there is no provision for relocating sterilised stray dogs, and they must be released in the same habitat from where they were picked up.
Sources also claimed that some self-proclaimed animal lovers oppose strict action against stray dogs.