Mystery of the 'blue dogs of Mumbai' solved
Pollution gave the canines their unusual hue
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The mystery of the ‘blue dogs of Mumbai’ has been solved.
Pictures showed the canines strolling the streets of the Indian city with their hair dyed a turquoise hue.
An investigation by city authorities confirmed what had been suspected by locals for some time – the dogs’ hair was dyed by industrial waste.
A manufacturing factory has now been shut down after it was accused of illegally dumping chemical waste into a heavily industrialised area of the Kasadi River.
Among other chemicals, high levels of chloride were found in the water.
The dogs are known to often swim in the river, which is how they are thought to have acquired their bold new style.
Locals who saw the change in the animals complained to city authorities, who launched an investigation.
“It was shocking to see how the dog’s white fur had turned completely blue,” local animal rights campaigner Arati Chauhan told the Hindustan Times last week.
“We have spotted almost five such dogs here and have asked the pollution control board to act against such industries.”
Some dye was washed off the dogs, who were otherwise unharmed.
It is unknown if other animals were affected by the pollution.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments