Participatory action research saved bullocks of Village Kanadwadi, Maharashtra from potential threat of horn cancer and skin allergy

Kanadwadi, a village situated in district Sangli of Maharashtra, India, where the bullock owners used to get their bullock’s horn sheared and painted them using chemical paints and applied chemical colors to the body of bullocks during bail pola festival, which is one of the potential causes of horn cancer and also causes skin allergies. Animal Rahat initiated intervention on this issue and involved this particular village community in the entire process, so as to make the process participatory. All the processes including formulation of the problem/ issue, interpretation of the findings, planning and corrective actions were based on the experiences. This process served community needs and created awareness and commitment to find solution within community. As a result of Participatory Action Research (PAR), villagers agreed not to shear the horns, paint them using harmful paints and application of chemical color on their body, hence saving 30 bullocks of their village and around 200 bullocks of nearby villages from potential threat of horn cancer and skin allergy.