Hotline set up to assist privately-owned wild animals
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The Zoo and Wildlife Veterinary Society of Thailand has set up a hotline centre to help evacuate privately owned wild animals affected by the flooding at no charge.
SWVST’s Vet Nantarika Chansue said that the continued flooding in many provinces of the country have not just affected people but also their privatelyowned wild animals.
Evacuating these kinds of animals must be done correctly and under hygienic conditions, the doctor said, adding otherwise they could choke, suffer infections or die.
“Therefore, the SWVST has launched a hotline, 1362, which will operate around the clock, to provide an evacuation service for owners of these wild animals free of charge,” she said.
It is suggested that owners seek help from the centre when the water level is about ten centimetres from the cage because the staff need time to prepare equipment and themselves.
Meanwhile vet Manote Yindee, deputy dean of veterinary faculty, Mahidol University, said that evacuating wild animals is more difficult than moving domestic pets because of their instincts.
“Before moving them, wild animals need to be sedated and the evacuation would have to be done quickly. If the work is implemented by non professionals, the animals could become infected or die,” he said.
