In a recent initiative in Niassa Special Reserve, a domestic animal vaccination campaign targeted 28 villages in the Mavago and Mecula Districts, with a particular focus on dogs.
The MWA team joined forces with several institutions including ANAC, SDAE, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Niassa Carnivore Project (NCP), and Luwire Wildlife Conservancy (LWC). The campaign employed a door-to-door approach and administered essential procedures, including:
Deworming - Which is crucial to prevent the transmission of zoonotic parasites to humans by addressing parasitic infestations.
Distemper Vaccination - This vaccine protects dogs from a highly contagious viral disease that can be transmitted to the entire carnivore guild of the reserve with potential devastating consequences.
Rabies Vaccination - Rabies is a severe threat to both animals (wild and domestic) and humans. The vaccination against it helps prevent its spread.
Sterilization - Sterilization services were offered to control the dog population, preventing overpopulation.
The campaign reached a total of 331 dogs from 167 different owners. This one-health approach aims to improve ecosystem health and decrease threats to both humans and wild animals.
The overall conservation goal is to mitigate disease risks for both humans and wildlife, specifically African Wild Dogs and Wild Felids. This will be achieved through targeted vaccination and sterilization of domestic dogs in six key locations where MWA is already involved in projects to address human-wildlife interactions.
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