Current Date: 08 Aug, 2025
{{entry.title}}

How Switzerland ended rabies epidemic by air-dropped vaccinated chicken heads

A rabies epidemic struck foxes in Switzerland in the 1960s. The government wanted to vaccinate foxes against rabies, but manual vaccination was difficult and expensive. Instead, they began dropping vaccinated chicken heads across the countryside for the foxes to consume, and the rabies vanished.

Not only did World War II begin in Europe in 1939. The rabies pandemic that persisted into the 1980s was another unsettling occurrence. Red foxes were the carriers of the illness, which then infected domesticated animals. Rabies almost always results in death, even in humans (unless a vaccine is provided).

Numerous treatments were explored after the disease arrived in Switzerland in 1967, but the majority of them fell short. Authorities made unsuccessful attempts to poison, capture, or shoot the foxes. It was attempted to trap the animals, immunize them, and release them back into the wild, but the cost and scope of the operation rendered it unfeasible.

How Switzerland ended rabies epidemic by air 1
Photo by Pixabay

In the US, a novel concept called the Vac-Trap was developed. It was a spring-loaded device with a concealed syringe that was designed to inject the animal when it stepped on a trigger located on a foot pad. similar to a land mine, but with needles and shots. It kind of worked, but it put humans at risk. Sometimes, Vac-Trap was also used to stab people who loved the outdoors.

Air-dropped chicken heads

Several vaccine-laced food bait experiments, including those using eggs, dog biscuits, deep-fried cornmeal with milk, and sausages, were unsuccessful. Foxes enjoy the eggs so much that they save them for later, but the vaccination perishes in the process. Chicken heads proved to be the ideal bait. It soon began to rain disembodied chicken heads in Swiss woodlands, and I don’t want to know how scientists came up with this theory. Only in isolated regions were helicopter air drops employed. Teams on foot built thousands of chicken head firewalls in regions that were accessible.

Switzerland rabies free today

After four years, rabies had been eradicated thanks to the distribution of more than 50,000 chicken heads containing vaccination capsules. Soon other countries invented better baits, such special fish tablets manufactured in Germany. By 1991, Switzerland had distributed more than 150,000 chicken heads before switching to more effective baits.

Similar Stories
A man travels for hours daily through a drought to provide water for wild animals.

A man travels for hours daily through a drought to provide water for wild animals.

This man travels throughout Kenya bringing thirsty animals thousands of litres of water. Patrick Kilonzo Mwalua regularly travels to the Tsavo, where extreme drought is endangering the lives of elephants, buffalo, zebras, and antelope. He promises to keep giving out water every week until it starts to rain in the hopes that getting the word out will lead to a long-term fix.

The story of The chicken that lived for 18 months without a head

The story of The chicken that lived for 18 months without a head

Mike the Headless Chicken was a rooster whose head was accidentally chopped off but miraculously survived. This is due to most of the brain stem being left intact. He was fed using a special tube that delivered food directly into his esophagus. Despite his lack of a head, he lived for 18 months, gaining worldwide fame before ultimately choking on a kernel of corn during one of his tours, in a Motel in Fruita, Colorado.

Remembering Alex: The African Grey Parrots Final Message

Remembering Alex: The African Grey Parrots Final Message

"You be good, I love you. See you tomorrow" Parrot's last words to her caretaker. Alex (1976 – September 6, 2007) was an African Grey Parrot and the subject of a thirty-year (1977–2007) experiment by animal psychologist Irene Pepperberg, initially at the University of Arizona and later at Harvard University and Brandeis University. Pepperberg bought Alex in a regular pet shop when he was about one year old.

10 Rarest and Albino animals you haven’t seen

10 Rarest and Albino animals you haven’t seen

For centuries, people have been fascinated and enchanted by the ghostly appearances of abnormally white animals. People have loved albinos and other unusually white animals so much that they may be helping to increase their numbers, despite the difficulties these animals face in the wild. While these unusual animals did not win the genetic lottery, they have persevered in the face of adversity.

Andy Goose - The Goose With No Feet but wears Nike shoes

Andy Goose - The Goose With No Feet but wears Nike shoes

Andy was a goose who was born without feet. However, his owner came up with a solution to help him stand and move around by outfitting him with Nike sneakers. This gave Andy the ability to move around like any other goose, but it also made him a source of inspiration for disabled children. Sadly, he was mysteriously murdered in 1991.

Are Octopus Intelligent? A Look Inside an Octopus's Brain

Are Octopus Intelligent? A Look Inside an Octopus's Brain

Octopuses are extremely intelligent. It is the only invertebrate capable of emotion, empathy, cognitive function, self-awareness, personality, and even interpersonal relationships. Some believe that if humans did not exist, octopi would eventually take our place as the dominant life form on Earth.