A cow wearing reflective magic collar

CHENNAI: Next time you spot a light crossing your path in the dark, fret not, it could be a dog or a bovine taking a stroll at night.To save stray animals from being mowed down by vehicles, a non-profit organisation has come up with an initiative to fit these animals with reflective collars. On Sunday, around 300 dogs and cattle were fit with these ‘magic collars,’ made of a reflective cloth stuck on a nylon tape.The collars have been successfully tested and used for dogs in Bengaluru, Pune ad Jamshedpur. “We decided to take one more step and use it for cattle as well,” said Arun Prasanna, founder of People For Cattle in India ( PFCI ), the organisation that has launched the initiative.The collars will reflect the light from vehicles and help motorists avoid running them over.A survey undertaken by PFCI volunteers revealed that 90% of vehicle owners couldn’t spot a dog or cattle in the dark and visibility was an issue. “It is a risk for motorists too as they see the animal in the last few seconds and try to swerve,” said Arun.According to Chennai Corporation data, there were more than 80,000 stray dogs in Chennai in 2014. The civic body has no data on cattle and the number of stray animals run over by vehicles. The initiative is being funded by animal lovers.