Police in The Gambia have launched an operation to hunt down and clear stray animals from the streets of the country’s major towns and cities.
The law enforcers had issued a notice to dog and livestock owners to rein them in ahead of a crackdown on stray animals in public spaces and busy throughfares.
The operation was scheduled to start on December 15 but was deferred to give domestic animal and livestock owners time to clear their dogs, donkeys, sheep and goat from the streets.
The Gambia Police Force is working with the Cattle Farmers Association to prevent animals from roaming the streets of the capital Banjul and other cities.
The owners of stray animals caught during the operation will be fined, the Gambian police have warned in a statement.
Stray animals especially dogs with rabies have been a regular eyesore in recent years, prompting calls by Gambians for action by the police.
WN/as/APA