WSPA - Animals in Disasters Blog

Preparations under way in Mexico for possible volcano eruption

While our work continues assisting farmers and their livestock in drought-stricken regions of northern Mexico, we have also been monitoring an area of the country that is under threat of a possible volcanic eruption. 

The Popocatépetl volcano, located approximately 45 miles (72 km) southeast of Mexico City, has been particularly active over the past two weeks. It is currently rated as a yellow alert, and we are closely monitoring any increase in activity or escalation of the alert level. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A remote assessment was recently conducted by our disaster response staff in the Costa Rica office, and we are moving forward quickly to implement their recommendations. Our planned interventions include broadcasting disaster preparedness PSAs on local radio, providing prevention messages and advising people to include animals into their emergencies plan. 

We are also deploying our Mexican Veterinary Emergency Response Unit (VERU) leader to the areas most at risk in order to collect information on preparedness of animal owners as well as the logistics and security considerations involved in the sheltering and evacuation of animals in the event of a major eruption of the volcano. 

There are about 430 animal owners and an average of 7,500 animals (livestock and companion animals) at risk in the most vulnerable communities of Santiago Xalitzintla, San Nicolas de los Ranchos and San Pedro Cholula which could be affected in the event of a major explosion. Therefore, we are working hard to ensure that these local communities are prepared to cope should disaster strike.

Animal welfare in Colombian Floods: no need for a WSPA intervention at this stage

Our colleague Ricardo Jiménez of the WSPA Latin America office sent us the following report from the field: 

Over the last three years, Colombia has been dealing with several seasons of heavy rains in different parts of the country due to the impact of La Niña phenomena. This year, 32 municipalities, including the capital city, have faced flood-related emergencies. WSPA has been very active at monitoring the impact on animal welfare, and has conducted evaluations in several emergency situations to assess animal need.

One of the most critical emergency situations has been reported in the province of Cundinamarca, with several dairy cattle populations involved and including locations that WSPA has responded to in the recent past. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WSPA’s disaster assessment and response team (DART) was deployed there last week where they witnessed how quick evacuation operations were carried out by producers supported by government bodies, taking cattle to higher grazing lands in nearby locations and keeping animals in good condition. Our team in the field reported very few animal casualties and a good community capacity to cope with the emergency. Disaster preparedness campaigns and quick responses have decreased the impact on the affected animals.

With the low levels of animal need reported for the time being, there is no need for WSPA to deliver a relief operation. However, WSPA continues to monitor other locations in the country and is engaging in recommendations for further awareness and preparedness programs.

In the meantime, we are also happy to report that the Colombian National Emergency Unit has started to include animal-related recommendations in their disaster communications, acknowledging that animals are very important for livelihoods in the country and that risk management should include provisions for animal welfare.

Finally, we will be partnering with local media in one of the most affected locations to broadcast disaster preparedness PSAs relating to animal welfare.

We will continue to monitor the situation in Colombia and are prepared to react quickly should circumstances change. 

Drought relief work in Mexico begins next phase

As we updated a few weeks ago, our work continues in drought-stricken areas of Chihuahua. Livestock in the region continue to struggle for survival. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alongside our local colleagues, we held a second community meeting with key stakeholders, government officials and farmers where we laid the groundwork for the next phase of our intervention. We also distributed a further 100 mineral blocks to meet immediate needs of the most vulnerable animals.

A video sent to us by our colleagues in the WSPA Latin America office tells the story and the impact of our support.

 

The next stage of our will be implemented over the coming weeks.  We will build two medium dam-like retention ponds to improve water management, rehabilitate large portions of pastureland and help replenish underground aquifers.

Six communities across the region will benefit from the dam construction and the resulting improved pastures. We anticipate our work will directly benefit 220 families and 2500 animals in the region.

Please continue to check back for more updates as we continue our work on the ground in northern Mexico.

Fiji flood relief under way as new team deploys to assess developing situation in Colombia

As we reported last week, our Disaster Response Team has been deployed once more to provide assistance in flood-impacted areas of Fiji, which was hit by two tropical storms in as many months. 

Preliminary reports indicate that the second and more severe storm has resulted in the worst flooding the island has seen in 30 years. This has had a devastating impact on crops, people and animals – especially in the hardest hit regions of the Western Division. 

WSPA is hard at work on the ground with our local partners to provide much needed aid to thousands of vulnerable animals in the most impacted areas.

We will be distributing emergency feed and veterinary supplies for livestock in the most severely flood-affected areas, which will benefit more than 5,000 cattle and horses and up to 20,000 goats and sheep. We’ll also provide support for a veterinary volunteer in offering direct services to communities who are unable to bring animals into a vet clinic.

As part of our risk reduction work in the country, we are currently compiling information and statistical data on livestock, and creating tools which will be used in the development of a database. This work will support the Fijian government in their emergency planning processes and ultimately help save animal lives in the future. 

Finally, WSPA is also providing veterinary supplies and food to the SPCA Fiji office in the city of Nadi. The office was affected by the floods and is struggling to meet the needs of a surge in companion animals impacted by the disaster. Our support will benefit up to 100 cats and dogs.

In total—across both our interventions so far this year—WSPA is supporting an estimated 29,000 flood-affected animals across the most devastated areas of Fiji.

In addition to our on-going work in Fiji, WSPA’s Disaster Management team is also preparing a new joint deployment of colleagues from our Costa Rica and Colombian offices to assess a developing situation in Cota, Colombia. Wide-spread rainy season flooding resulting from La Niña phenomenon is expected to continue. 

Last year’s floods impacted hundreds of thousands of farm animals. We’ll be working closely with officials in Colombia to determine how we can best provide support to the most impacted communities and animals.

We will keep you updated as we continue our work in both regions over the next weeks.

Fiji flooded once more

Our Disaster Response Team is preparing to land in Fiji again after the island was hit by severe flooding for the second time this year.

In February we visited the island to assess the impact of the flooding and provide emergency feed, but during the fragile recovery phase the island was affected by heavy rain and strong winds caused by Cyclone Daphene. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Much of the islands crops and pastures have been destroyed and there is concern for those animals in poor conditions as a result of the cyclone. Once on the ground our team will work in the Western District of the island with members of the Fiji SPCA to assess the impact on animals.   

We will update you once the team have reached the impacted areas. 

As more animals need help in Brazil, relief work is starting in Mexico

As we posted a few weeks ago, the field teams have been working hard in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, providing aid to more than 3,500 animals affected by the flooding and landslides there.
Through distribution centres, our network of volunteers in the field successfully provided emergency feed and veterinary services to thousands of animals; in addition, they distributed informational and awareness materials for pet owners, advising them on how to prepare for and protect their pets when faced with future disasters.

Unfortunately, our help is still needed in other areas of the country. The state of Acre has been affected by heavy rains that began at the end of February, and ten cities have suffered severe floods.

In order to help the hundreds of homeless and displaced animals affected by the floods, WSPA has purchased 2 tonnes of emergency feed along with much needed veterinary medicines; these are currently being distributed by our field supervisor, veterinarian Dra Flora Aymara, in collaboration with the Zoonosis Control Centre (ZCC) in Rio Branco. The centre has been rescuing and caring for approximately 600 dogs and 150 cats in temporary shelters since the start of the floods. This intervention will directly benefit more than 2000 animals.

Following the assessment in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico, in response to the severe drought, our response team has decided to move forward with offering direct assistance to the affected farmers and their livestock in the most affected areas.

In order to gain community engagement, WSPA will be helping the Ministry of Agriculture (SAGARPA) set up emergency committees in the most affected districts, to discuss the best way to implement relief and risk reduction activities in the region. In addition, WSPA will be distributing mineral blocks to local farmers during these meetings to address any deficiencies the animals may be suffering from as well as helping them survive the extreme conditions. 

As work progresses, we will continue to update you on our interventions.

Drought in Chihuahua, Mexico

The absence of rain over the last two years has caused an extended drought emergency in the North of Mexico affecting agriculture and livestock. WSPA’s Sergio Vasquez travelled to two areas in the Chihuahua district. He shares his experience with us. 

“The pastures have no green cover at all and animals are struggling to find feed. We have seen many animals that had died from the drought and in some cases animals have perished as they have got stuck in the dried out reservoirs with muddy bottoms.”

“Weakened animals have to walk further to find water and some of them do not make it; it’s very distressing to see”. 

This is one of those situations that develops into a ‘disaster’ slowly, so although the water levels have been low for a long time, it has only now reached a critical stage. Though there is access to limited water holes there is very little left to eat in the semi-arid pastures and a single species of cactus called Nopal is all the cattle can find.  

Following the field trip, the team is reviewing the results of the assessment; we will keep you informed of how we decide to proceed in Mexico in the coming days.

In the meantime our team in Colombia have deployed to Paraguay to measure the impact of the drought they are also experiencing.    

A photo update from Brazil

As we posted earlier this week, our disaster relief team has been in the Minas Gerais state, Brazil, to help animals affected by the flooding and landslides there. Following their assessment, the team reported that close to 3000 cats and dogs are in need of our help. Over the coming weeks, we will be delivering emergency feed and basic veterinary care to these animals. In addition, if persistent rains start compromising pastures, we will provide food supplements to an estimated 500 cattle that are likely to be affected.

Meanwhile, here are a few of the photographs sent through by the team, visibly highlighting the need for our work there.

WSPA vet Sergio Vasquez surveys damage in the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais, where months of rainfall have caused flooding and landslides, destroying many homes and rendering most roads unusable.

 

While the DART (Damage Assessment and Response Team) were conducting their assessment of the area they were followed by this puppy. She is usually looked after by locals, who apparently left her behind when they evacuated.  

 

The team came across many abandoned dogs who were visibly distressed. For instance, the locals told our vets how this dog had lost her puppies in the flooding and was refusing to leave her home.

 
The bridge in Guidoval municipality was destroyed by flooding dividing the town in half. The Brazilian Army built a temporary pontoon bridge allowing access.  WSPA’s Sergio Vasquez crosses over with food for animals.  

 

During the assessment in Guidoval city, WSPA’s Juan Carlos Murillo found this starving, injured puppy. Since no one in the neighbourhood claimed ownership of the puppy, Juan Carlos named him Guido and took him to a veterinary clinic for thorough treatment.

Sergio Vasquez holds Guido while the local vet, Dr. Alonso, examines him. Guido is recovering well and will be looked after until a suitable home can be found for him. 

 

Over the next few weeks WSPA will continue to work with volunteers from local animal protection groups Nucleo Fauna and Bichos Gerais who will be carrying out the work in the field.

We expect more information from our team over the weekend, and will certainly keep you posted! 

An update from Brazil

As we mentioned in a previous post, Dr. Juan Carlos Murillo and Dr. Sergio Vasquez, two of our most experienced disaster management vets, have been in Brazil since Sunday the 8th of January, to conduct a thorough assessment of the impact on animals in the flood-affected regions.

One of the first results of the WSPA visit has been to secure 450 placements of a public service announcement (PSA) on over 335 radio stations – this means that thousands of residents all across Brazil were reminded to include animals in their disaster plans and given practical tips on ensuring the safety of their animals. 

Our team started by visiting Belo Horizonte, where they met with Franklin Olivera, a representative of a local partner organisation "Amigos dos Bichos" to plan how best to work together to help the animals belonging to the local flood-affected communities.

They also visited the Mario Campos district to assess the impact of the floods there and the current animal situation. On their way there, they passed the previously flooded cities of Juatuba and Mario Campos, where they found that the situation had returned to normal, and people were going about their business as per usual. The Paraopeba river is returning to normal levels but in Mario Campos, effects of the recent flooding were still visible: water marks were visible on household walls as far inland from the river as 100 metres! 

The animals most impacted by the flooding in this region are pets that were abandoned when their owners had to evacuate their households. Most farm animals had been moved to higher ground – as they usually are, during the rainy season, and were therefore safe from the floods.

WSPA has initiated the distribution of pet food and fodder for animals in the communities most affected, including for some families continuing to live in a shelter set up at the Municipal School Antonio Gonzalez, because their homes had been swept away in the floods.

Over the weekend, our staff are expected to return from this initial assessment trip; based on the findings they report, we will make decisions about how to continue to help these animals, and of course, continue to keep you posted!

Click here if you'd like to hear the PSA that played on radio stations across Brazil.

WSPA assesses situation in flooded areas at Northern Costa Rica

A low pressure system caused heavy rains in Costa Rica during the last week, with the northern part of the country most affected. A team from WSPA arrived in the zone within two days and visited the affected areas where mostly poor communities live, on small farms with free range cattle and poultry.

The first thing the WSPA team did upon arrival on December 15th was to meet the National Animal Health Service (SENASA) and Civil Defence representatives, in order to offer our help and be informed about the local situation. SENASA and Civil Defence had identified communities along both shores of the Sarapiquí river, one of the main rivers in the zone that has overflowed, as being the worst affected by the floods.

Once briefed, the WSPA team, along with officials from SENASA, left by boat to visit the communities and farmers in this area.   During the trip, the team verified that although most of the animals have survived the floods, the next 15-30 days are going to be extremely difficult for them, due to the damage in pastures and other food sources like plantain and sugar cane. "The higher impact of a flood comes after the rains and the overflowing rivers: the destruction of food sources for the animals and an increased possibility of their getting sick due to malnutrition and contaminated water-related bacteria," said Dr. Vásquez, Disaster Management Veterinarian Officer, WSPA.

While out in the boat, the team saved a cow that was swimming in the middle of the river, by driving the boat towards it and causing it to move towards the shore, where it was able to climb out of the water and on to safe land on its own. The cyclonic force of the swollen waters (the river was about five meters beyond its normal depth at the time) causes animals to be pushed down repeatedly, and dragged to the center of the river where they usually get tired and drown. “By forcing the cow to swim to an eddy near an area recognised by the team as being safe, we were able to save it without even touching it! That's the best way to rescue them," explained Vásquez.

On the second and final day of the assessment, the team was able to visit several communities in other areas that could be reached by land. WSPA's aid was focused on providing emergency supplies of mineral salts, deworming and antibiotics; the SENASA staff will help distribute these supplies to the animals and farmers in most need. We expect at least 2,000 cattle, chickens, pigs, and dogs will receive the emergency medications they need, thanks to this exercise.