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Dogs & Rabies

Wherever you are in Tibet, you can't miss the dogs and getting bitten happens more often than you might expect. These dogs are fearless and throwing stones or brandishing a stick won't deter them.

One thing you can do is to check with someone at the monastery or house you are going to visit to see if they keep one of these savage beasts. The dogs are trained to attack dubious strangers making foreigners prime targets.

In rural areas a typical encounter starts more than 200m from a nomads tent, with a huge Tibetan Mastiff guard dog barking and coming hurtling towards you at high speed. Be sure to call a resident to hold it off before you approach their tent.

Should you get bitten, you must get the vaccine immediately. If rabies gets hold it has a 100% death rate. The vaccine is available in Lhasa and must be taken five times a month. A preventive injection is also available in your home country, which covers you for about 3 years.

If you are unfortunate and get bitten in a rural area, you have a serious problem, as the vaccine is rarely available there. You should return to Lhasa as soon as you possibly can, even if you've had the preventative vaccination. There is nothing better than avoiding being bitten in the first place.

Extract taken from "Mapping the Tibetan World"

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