Background: Severe Context: Animal bites to humans are a public health problem, posing a potential threat of rabies. Rabies, once symptomatic, is almost universally fatal. Yet, deaths are preventable with timely provision of post-exposure prophylaxis.

Aims: To describe the characteristics of animal bites and to identify the delay between exposure and arrival at hospital among reported casesin three years. Settings and Design: Record based study at a tertiary care centre in Thrissur, Kerala during 2019-2021.

Methods and Material: Details of the patients with history of animal bite were accessed from the records maintained at Immunisation Clinic.

Results: Among 164 victims, majority were males (55.5%). Cats (51.8%) were the most frequently involved animal followed by dogs (40.2%). 79.3% of animals were unvaccinated/with unknown vaccination status. Hands (37.2%) were the most common area involved in whole population and in children. More than half of the bites were category III (54.3%). 89% of victims reached hospital within 24 hours of exposure.

Discussion: There was no significant increase in a number of cases in the three study years. The major involved animal was cat in this study, in contrast to various other studies. An increase in the incidence of injuries in the head and neck region and category III wounds in children was observed, which point towards the severity of bite injuries in children. Although the majority of victims reported to the hospital without much delay, 11% of people failed to report on the first day, which demand the need of more public consciousness on animal bite and rabies.