Animal Safety

     

Disaster not only causes loss of life, damages to environment and properties, but has immediate and progressive impact on animals as well, resulting in animal deaths, suffering and economic losses. Hundreds of thousands of animals are affected during disasters such as drought, cyclones, earthquakes, landslides, floods and epidemics. In 1970 the East Bengal cyclone killed approximately 60% of the entire cattle population with in an area of more than 5000Sq.Km. Under animals safety elements at risk are the animals who are tied in shed and cannot escape (like cow and buffalo etc)or those animals who cannot run fast due to their weight like buffalo, those animals like pets who are confine to a limited structure. Animals who are at risk are stray animals as nobody own them and wild animals who often get killed as they are not aware where to go in case of flood anf forest fire.

A holistic approach and collective efforts are required to address the issues of animal safely during disaster more effectively. This may contribute to avoid or minimize the animal suffering, save the animal lives and livelihood of millions of people.

DRR plans for animals may be developed by local government department in consultation with the animals owners and other concerned stakeholders.

• 1. Training of Police personnel on Animal safety and rescue must be included in the Disaster Management training being conducted by State Government, ATIs etc.
• 2. It is important to conduct community sensitization and awareness generation programme on animals safety and disaster management at large scale .
• 3. Hazards need to be identified and the vulnerability of the community assessed by performing the following tasks:
  1. a. Establish a committee which reviews the impact of disasters and assesses the potential impact of disaster on the livestock industry of the country.
  2. b. This group should also develop and maintain disease surveillance methods using epidemiology, geographic information system (GIS) and risk assessment methodology to enhance their efforts.
• 4. Developing a sub-plan for animal disaster management and identifying resources (laboratories, veterinary schools, animals and human health department) that could play role in the response to disasters and characterize the function of these resources in the cycle of disaster management.