Nepal to fix electronic chips on animals to monitor them

Authorities in Nepal have planned to fit electronic chips on animals including cows and oxen to keep a record of loitering cattle in Kathmandu, a media report said Sunday.

The chips may be installed on the ear or neck of an animal, The Kathmandu Post reported.

"We will have a control room to monitor those animals," Dhanapati Sapkota, chief of the Implementation Department at the metropolis, said.

He said his office is planning to maintain a database of households that keep animals such as cows and calves.

The metropolis held a meeting with officials from Animal Nepal, a non-profit organisation working to set a standard of animal welfare.

"We'll be helping the metropolis for the installation of chips and handling the data," said Bishnu Prasad Joshi, former chief of the municipal police.

The metropolis has been consulting with other organisations as well and seeking technical consultancy to curb the problem of stray cattle.

"The metropolis had started a drive two decades ago of lifting animals from the streets and auctioning them but the problem has yet to be resolved. With this new initiative, we'll be able to root the problem out," said Sapkota.

Over 10,000 such animals have been auctioned in the past two decades, he said.

Joshi said the reason behind the lack of progress was the metropolis not having a shelter for loitering animals.

"Since we don't have a good Kanji (animal care) house, many stray animals, which were already sick, died in Teku last year," said Joshi.

Due to the ill-health of animals, people were not interested in buying them, he said.

Sapkota is hopeful that the new dive will be successful.

Reports show that 500 animals, including oxen and cows that do not give milk, are left on the streets of Kathmandu every year.

Sick animals are also abandoned by their owners.

These animals not only occupy the roads, they also cause accidents.

The Metropolitan Traffic Police Division had planned to search for the owners of abandoned cattle and fine them but not a single owner has been booked so far.