Safe coexistence on KU campus
On the University of Karachi campus, the problem of stray and wild animals is immediate and painfully personal. Children are bitten by dogs, families panic if a monitor lizard appears in a home and teachers walk past bushes where cobras have been seen. At the same time, crows and rats thrive on the waste we scatter. Any honest solution must protect humans, avoid cruelty and respect ecological balance.
These animals dominate where humans mismanage space: open garbage, food waste outside canteens and shops, overgrown bushes, broken drains and no organised animal control. Our neglect steadily creates their habitat inside KU.
A humane policy rests on three principles: human safety first; minimal suffering for animals; and population management rather than eradication. For stray dogs, this means two tracks. First, immediate protection: a campus helpline and trained staff with humane traps, a clear protocol for dog bites and isolation of aggressive or rabid animals, with euthanasia as a last resort under veterinary supervision. Second, long-term control through “catch-neuter-vaccinate-release”: mapping dog hotspots around departments and hostels, sterilising and vaccinating them, marking them, and, where safe, releasing them so a stable, vaccinated population prevents newcomers from filling the gap.
For snakes, mongooses and monitor lizards, the aim is risk reduction, not blind killing. A small KU rescue team should safely capture and relocate them to designated low-risk green zones, while the campus trims vegetation near hostels, repairs drains and improves lighting. Houses, labs and classrooms need grills, sealed vents and doors; any animal that enters is captured and moved back to its ecological niche.
Crows and other scavengers are controlled by managing garbage: covered bins, sealed meat waste, daily collection and non-lethal bird deterrents like netting and spikes on key buildings.
All this requires a KU Animal Control and Wildlife Management Unit with a helpline, a vehicle, data collection, links to veterinarians and NGOs and regular awareness campaigns. It also honours moral and religious teachings about kindness to living creatures everywhere. The goal is not to “get rid of” animals, but to build safe coexistence on campus through cleanliness, science, planning and compassion.
Dr Tehmina Abbas & Dr Intikhab Ulfat
Karachi
