Sri Vijaya Puram, Sept. 29: The Andaman and Nicobar Islands marked World Rabies Day 2026 with a series of awareness programmes, anti-rabies vaccination camps and Animal Birth Control operations, bringing students, veterinary teams, pet owners and local communities into efforts focused on preventing and controlling the disease. The programmes were held at multiple locations under the theme ‘Stronger Together’.
The main programme took place at the Conference Hall of the Veterinary Hospital, Junglighat, with more than 40 college students participating. Retired Senior Veterinary Officer A. K. Bardhan attended as chief guest, along with the Director and Joint Director of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services and Senior Veterinary Officer C. Ramakrishnan. Veterinary officers and the chief guest addressed rabies transmission, clinical signs, prevention and control measures.
The programme also included an anti-rabies vaccination drive in which 23 pets, including dogs and cats, received vaccines.
At the Veterinary Dispensary in Shaheed Dweep, another vaccination camp covered 22 animals, including dogs and cats.
Veterinary staff at the Sub-Dispensary in Hut Bay carried out five Animal Birth Control operations on dogs, including three females and two males. One of the animals belonged to a pet owner from the Nicobari tribal community of Harminder Bay.
At the Veterinary Dispensary, Manglutan, an awareness programme at Government Middle School, Guptapara, focused on rabies prevention, responsible pet ownership, timely anti-rabies vaccination of dogs, preventing dog bites and immediate measures after an animal bite. Five dogs were vaccinated during the programme, alongside local awareness activities.
In Car Nicobar, the Veterinary Hospital conducted a rabies awareness camp for students of GSS Tamaloo and ITI Arong. Deputy Commissioner, Nicobar, Amit Kale inaugurated the free anti-rabies vaccination camp in the presence of Tribal Council Chairman Lionel Nicomed and Deputy Vice Chairman John Levi. Village captains and heads of line departments also attended.
Two ITI students were nominated as ‘Guardians of the Voiceless’. The Deputy Commissioner also distributed free chicks to farmers on the island under the National Livestock Mission.
At Saraswati Shishu Mandir Senior Secondary School, Pathargudda, the Senior Veterinary Officer from Veterinary Hospital Garacharma and the team conducted another awareness programme as part of the observance.
