IFAW joins the disaster relief efforts * Dolphin rescued * General animal situation under control * First aid
IFAW comes to the rescue of animals affected by the Tsunami disaster
During the ongoing relief efforts in the Tsunami affected areas of Southern Thailand, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) offered a timely helping hand to save the animals affected by the Tsunami. From the week of the disaster onwards, IFAW's support enabled the Wildlife Friends of Thailand to feed over 300 homeless companion animals such as dogs and cats and domesticated wild boar in the affected areas of Khao Lak, Koh Phi phi and Ban Nam Khem. Edwin Wiek of the Wildlife Friends of Thailand, a member of the IFAW Emergency Relief team said: "this has been a tremendous relief operation and IFAW's assistance has been very valuable in reaching out to the animals affected because of the Tsunami. Besides feeding these animals, the ER teams were also able to vaccinate nearly 80 dogs against rabies and deworm over 200 stray dogs in the first weeks. The implementation of a program to monitor the situation in the coming months and to continue the disaster relief efforts has been guaranteed as a result of IFAW's support. The set up of a field clinic to provide veterinary help to the animals in the Phangnga and Krabi provinces has been enabled by IFAW's disaster relief assistance.
Additionally. Edwin Wiek of the Wildlife Friends of Thailand, a member of the IFAW Emergency Relief team coordinated together with both Mick McIntyre (Director IFAW Asia-Pacific) and Anand Ramanathan (IFAW Emergency Relief Manager for Disaster Relief) on two different assessment and relief missions in the affected areas.
Over 100 domesticated wild boar survived the Tsunami
and needed to be fed at Khao Lak.
Tsunami Relief Operation
The Wildlife Friends of Thailand and the Thai Animal Guardians Association have now made a complete assessment of the whole disaster area and provided immediate help where needed with the support of IFAW.
This
assessment is as follows:
Phuket - The beaches of Kamala and Patong were hardest hit. Most damage
was done
directly to the coastline; however in both these villages local people still remain
and are rebuilding their houses and businesses. The companion-animal
situation (dogs and cats) is almost normal. Some feeding of the animals would
be preferred, but with the decline in the number of animals following the
tsunami (a substantial number were killed) this is neither
an
emergency nor a big task. No further assistance is needed.
Koh
Phi phi - All animals are being removed from Phi phi by several
organizations, therefore the situation is being resolved. No further action
is needed
until people will move back to the area, and the animals can return. Some
organizations have transferred the animals to shelters in Bangkok and Phuket;
we hope this will be temporary.
Phangnga and Kao Lak - This is the hardest hit area. Over 30 kilometers
of coast
line were affected, and in some places everything is
destroyed to as far as 1 kilometer inland. In over 15 villages dogs, cats
and pigs are still roaming,
however people have left these areas out of
fear of a recurrence of the waves, and
because of the lack of electricity and fresh/clean water. A total number of
approximately 400 dogs, 200 pigs and several cats need supplies of water and food.
No veterinary care is available in the area, and on some smaller islands
animals have been left behind. The Wildlife Friends of Thailand are ready
in cooperation with the ThaiAGA, to set up a temporary field-clinic and
animal care unit. The staff and equipment are being mobilized to set up this
center in Kao Lak. Support pledged by IFAW, Animals Asia and the Humane
Society will help cover the cost of this
project. On some smaller islands animals have been fed and some temporarily
relocated. A temporary shelter will be set up at Kao Lak as we do not want to
relocate any animals to shelters in Phuket or Bangkok. Moving animals will
simply create significant trouble elsewhere, and animal welfare is not
served by locking up animals and displacing them. We feel that most animals
can return to their
original locations after the people have returned as well. The priority is to
return to normal life as far as possible.
In the
future money might be needed for new projects and/or different causes that
may arise. For the dog and cat situation we have been assured that more than
enough financial help has been provided. Reports that animals are
starving due to the Tsunami are unfounded.
Any
concerns regarding animals in distress in Southern Thailand can be
reported to the Wildlife Friends of Thailand or the ThaiAGA.
Edwin and Jill Robinson of Animals Asia Foundation at Khao Lak.
Animals Asia has pledged to help out with the feeding program.
Dolphin Rescued!
update 05.01-2005
One successful rescue that received substantial media attention involved the return to the sea of a 10 year old indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphin that had became stranded in a small lagoon near Kao Lak after apparently being washed ashore by the waves. Edwin was actively involved in the rescue effort from the start in co-operation with Khun Kongkiart and local villagers. The dolphin was discovered on January the 3rd by a local man looking for his missing wife who alerted others to the dolphin’s plight. The dolphin needed to be returned to sea as quickly as possible as she was slowly being poisoned by the stagnant water in which she was trapped which was polluted with dead bodies and debris. She had little food to eat in the lake so needed to be fed to keep her strength up. Catching her initially proved to be very challenging due to lack of necessary equipment and the fact that the nets being used to catch her kept getting caught on debris in the lake and ripping. After numerous attempts to capture her, the dolphin was finally trapped and lifted out of the lake on Wednesday the 5th and placed on a stretcher on a pick up truck to be driven a short distance to the beachfront. Edwin was able to administer both antibiotics and wound treatment and other necessary first aid before letting her go. After being lifted into the Andaman sea the dolphin swiftly swam away without a backward glance to the cheers of all those involved in her rescue. One uplifting story in a time of so much grief and tragedy.
The dolphin on her way back to the Sea!
Tsunami Disaster - Emergency action taken
01.01.2005
Following the recent tragic events the Wildlife Friends of Thailand has been busy providing emergency help to many animals in the south of Thailand, both wild and domestic, including many abandoned dogs, cats and livestock. Shortly after the tragedy, Edwin together with a team of volunteers traveled to the south to assess the damage and evaluate what help was needed. The Wildlife Friends team took a large amount of dog food to the regions of Phuket, Khao Lak, Koh Phi phi, Phangna and many smaller islands to feed the large number of dogs that had been left with little to eat, both strays and those at dog homes. We also provided food for other animals left with no-one to care for them. In addition, we provided medical assistance to any injured animals that we came across or were brought to us.
Tsunami disaster- WFFT Statement
28.1.2004
Dear All, We would like to express our concern for the still missing persons and also our condolences for those who have lost their lives due to the Tsunami in Southern Thailand. We are thinking of those still missing and send out our hopes that they return safely, however we realize this chance diminishes as time goes by. We received various e-mails from ex volunteers and new volunteers still due to arrive, with concerns about the situation at the center. We would hereby like to inform everyone that our area is unaffected by the catastrophe in the south and that all staff and volunteers are safe. We have besides this no reason to believe that any ex-volunteers were in the south during the incident.
