Croatia drops 1.3 million fox rabies baits until 31 October

Croatia began dropping rabies vaccine baits for foxes from aircraft on Wednesday 21 October. The autumn campaign runs until 31 October, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. It covers the entire mainland, while the Adriatic islands are excluded. The plan is 1,332,925 baits. For hikers, families and anyone travelling with a dog, the ministry's rule until the end of the month is simple: leave the baits where they lie.

The aircraft start in the north and east and then move south. The ministry published the schedule on 20 October (Ministry of Agriculture), and Index.hr reported the same dates.

The flight plan by airfield

• Vinkovci (Sopot airfield): 21 to 24 October
• Varaždin: 24 to 26 October
• Krk: 26 to 29 October
• Brač: 29 to 31 October

Krk and Brač are only the take-off points. In 2026 the baits are laid across the whole country except the Adriatic islands, the ministry says. That includes Istria, the Kvarner and Dalmatian coast and the hinterland. On each square kilometre an aircraft flies two parallel lines 500 metres apart and drops 25 baits, roughly one every 80 metres. A GPS-controlled device releases them one by one. The ministry calls the dates a planned schedule. The last flights from Krk and Brač fall in the final week of October.

What a bait looks like

The bait is a dark brown block that looks like a biscuit and has a strong smell meant to attract wild animals. In its centre sits a plastic and aluminium capsule with a pink liquid. That liquid is the vaccine Rabadrop by the manufacturer Bioveta, which contains a weakened rabies virus. Foxes bite through the capsule and are protected for at least 12 months after 21 days. The bait also contains the antibiotic tetracycline, which settles in the teeth and later shows laboratories that a fox was vaccinated.

What it means for visitors

• A bait in a forest, a meadow or by a trail: do not touch it and do not move it.
• A bait in the garden of a holiday home, on a playground or in a park: wearing gloves, move it to the nearest bush outside the garden or to the edge of a forest, avoiding contact with the skin.
• A damaged casing with visible liquid: the bait no longer works. Wearing gloves, put it in a sealed bag and take it to the nearest vet.
• If you touched the casing: wash your hands well with soap and water. If the vaccine liquid reached your skin or mucous membranes, see a doctor straight away.
• A dog or cat that ate a bait: the ministry says baits are harmless to pets. A bait does not count as a rabies vaccination for dogs or cats.
• A bite or scratch from a dog, cat, fox or other wild animal: wash the wound at once with plenty of soap and running water, then see a doctor or the nearest anti-rabies unit as soon as possible.

An intact bait is not dangerous to people, but its smell clings to the skin. The veterinary administration answers questions on +385 1 6443 540 and at veterinarstvo.hr. Beaches and entry rules for dogs are in our guide Croatia with a dog.

Why Croatia vaccinates foxes every year

The ministry has vaccinated foxes twice a year since 2011: in spring to reach the young animals and in autumn before the mating season. Red foxes are the main carrier of the disease in Croatia. The last rabies case was recorded in 2014, and in 2021 the European Commission granted Croatia rabies-free status. Each year 2,665,850 baits are laid. The EU has approved and co-finances the nationwide programme until 2027. After that, the ministry plans to focus on higher-risk areas, depending on the situation in neighbouring countries.