Category: animal protection in Asia


Extending a helping hand to a snake

Filed Under: animal protection in Asia, wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife rescue by sharonstjoan — 6 Comments
February 26, 2023

Another Indian Rat Snake.

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After sunset one evening last December, a man who lives in one of the little villages adjoining the Bannerghatta Forest in Karnataka, south India, came across an Indian rat snake in his shed.

Just as he was thinking of releasing the snake back into the forest, he spotted what looked like some abrasions and scratches along the body of the snake.

Not wanting to release a snake who seemed to be injured, he took the trouble to bring the snake to the well-known rehabilitation center that was right nearby – the WRRC, the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre.

The snake was shedding her skin

Dr. Roopa Satish, the veterinarian and wildlife rehabilitator at the WRRC, examined the snake closely. She weighed 1.69 kilograms and was shedding her skin. Snakes are always very vulnerable at this time and can be easily injured.

All snake’s eyes have eye caps covering the eyes. Normally, they are transparent, but when the snake is shedding, they become translucent and therefore the snake is almost blind. At this time, the snake was having trouble knowing where she was going and could easily fall prey to an injury, having wandered too close to a building. Maybe she just suffered some scrapes, but she seemed to have been attacked by another animal.

With her assistants helping, Dr. Roopa cleaned the wounds and gently removed the partially shed skin using wet cotton swabs. Some of the wounds were deep enough to require stitches.

Then they administered pain killers, antibiotic injections, and fluids to rehydrate the snake.

Already beginning to feel less in pain, the snake was placed into a clean, dry vivarium, with a heating pad, to rest and recover.

All snakes shed their skin

All snakes molt and routinely shed their skin. How often they shed depends on several factors – like the species, their age, how active they are, and what the ambient temperature is.

Shedding is a very effective way of removing parasites on the body. Every two or three months, when snakes are ready to shed, they may rub their body between two rough stones to help loosen the skin.

During this time, they have poor eyesight and are very vulnerable. They may be attacked by pets or by other wild animals.

Thanks to quick action by the man who found the snake and the excellent care provided by Dr. Roopa and her assistants, the snake has continued to improve.

Back to the wild

Dr. Roopa has monitored the snake’s condition very carefully. She is waiting for the snake to shed one more time before releasing her, and she writes, “She is still with us for the time being and will be released after another shedding so as to allow all her internal and external wounds to heal.”

The snake will most likely be taken back to the same village to the green area just beyond the village, bordering on Bannerghatta Forest.

That was her home and the area that she was familiar with. When Dr. Roopa is satisfied that the snake is fully healed, then she’ll be ready to resume her peaceful life back in the wild, to live free and be happy once again.

Photo credit: dreamstime_s_184422714.jpg The photo is of a different Indian Rat Snake from the one in the news story.

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A sweet girl feeling better!

Filed Under: animal protection in Asia, animals, Blue Cross of India, urban animals by sharonstjoan — Leave a comment
January 25, 2023

Photo credit: Velu

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By Tyag Krishnamurthy

Isha is a sweet girl of about five. She now runs around with a sprightliness that would put a ballet dancer to shame. But she wasn’t this way when she was picked up a couple of months back by Blue Cross of India Rescues from the outskirts of Chennai.

She had a hernia the size of a soccer ball in her lower abdomen and could barely walk and was in great pain and discomfort. A complex surgery was done immediately to fix the hernia. After that it was a long haul – a month of post-operative care. Isha regained her strength steadily, amazing the caregivers with her ability to bounce back.

With every week, Isha grew in strength and has almost transformed into a brand new healthy, happy dog; no longer in pain or discomfort, always up for a cuddle, and enjoys a nice snooze in anyone’s arms.

From the Blue Cross of India newsletter Q4 2022
https://www.bluecrossofindia.org/blog/

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During 2022, Blue Cross of India rescued 11,000 animals,
spayed or neutered nearly 8,000 city dogs and cats and rehomed nearly 2,000 animals.

To help Blue Cross save even more animals, click on the donate button in the upper right. You can specify that you’d like your donation to go to Blue Cross! Many thanks!

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A Bengal monitor lizard freed from poachers

Filed Under: animal protection in Asia, forests, wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife rescue by sharonstjoan — Leave a comment
December 9, 2022

Tumkur is a city in south India about an hour north of Bangaluru. There, on September 19, 2022, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) forest cell rescued a large Bengal monitor lizard from poachers. (The photo above is of a different Bengal monitor lizard.)

Dr Roopa Satish, of the WRRC (Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre) writes that when poachers tie these beautiful lizards tightly with nylon ropes, the blood circulation is often cut off. Then they may become handicapped and unable to move their limbs. Of course, they can only be released if they can get their limb movement back.

Weighing 4.3 kilos or nearly 10 pounds, the large monitor was thoroughly examined. He had a few wounds and one missing claw. All the wounds were cleaned and dressed and his limbs were gently messaged to restore circulation. He was rehydrated with sub cutaneous fluids, given a shot for pain and also given antibiotics.

He was housed in a large enclosure and given food and water. The big enclosure offered a lot of hiding spaces and space for basking so that he could be comfortable. Because of his size and weight, he was believed to be a male.

As it is for any wild creature, being in captivity was stressful. He was kept in a calm, quiet place away from any human disturbance, so that he would have a chance to rest, to promote his healing and recovery.

Soon, he was feeling much livelier — able to spring into action and to make aggressive sounds when approached. He loved his food and was definitely feeling better.

After a week or so of being under observation in order to rule out any infection, he was taken to a safe protected forest area and released in the presence of forest officials.

Now once again back where he belongs, he is enjoying his freedom in his forest domain.

Photo credit: A.Savin, FAL, via Wikimedia Commons. The photo is of a different Bengal monitor lizard, not the one in the story.

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A misunderstood cobra

Filed Under: animal protection in Asia, forests, learning about nature, sacred ecology, wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife rescue by sharonstjoan — Leave a comment
December 9, 2022

A couple of years back, the Jigni area on the outskirts of the large south Indian city, Bangaluru, was a field where a kind of millet was grown. Now, it has been developed and is filled with homes. On November 29, of this year, a spectacled cobra was spotted who had accidentally entered a family’s house.

The people who lived there were startled by the cobra, and they called a snake catcher to come and catch him.

Sadly, the snake catcher had no experience catching snakes, and he was way out of his depth. He had bought some snake tongs on the internet. Catching snakes is an activity that requires a great deal of knowledge and years of experience. Without meaning to, he injured the snake by clamping down too hard. Hurt and in pain, the snake became aggressive. Afraid and not knowing what to do, the inexperienced snake catcher let go of the snake, leaving the tongs still attached to the snake.

This time the family called an experienced snake catcher, who arrived within an hour, safely removed the tongs, and rescued the cobra. He also took the time to educate everyone present not to use the wrong tools, like the tongs, which are very painful to snakes. He then, in the middle of the night, brought the injured cobra to be cared for at the WRRC center in Bangaluru (the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre), where all kinds of wildlife in distress are treated with great kindness and expertise.

Dr. Roopa Satish, the Chief Wildlife Rehabilitator, examined the cobra that weighed 740 grams, about one and a half pounds.

Luckily, there were no spinal injuries. The cobra was given pain killers and fluids, and the wound was thoroughly cleaned and dressed.

He was moved into a clean vivarium with a bowl of fresh water and a heating pad and left in peace and quiet to recover.

Happily, within two days, the cobra had much improved and began looking for a way to escape from his vivarium.

All animals, whether wild or domestic, are, by nature, innocent. They defend themselves if attacked and, of course, they seek food to eat. But they do not act out of malice or viciousness.

Once the relevant Forest Department permissions are obtained, the cobra will be released in the second week of December in a good habitat away from both people and housing developments.

Thanks to human beings who cared, he’ll be free to enjoy the rest of his life in a suitable wild area, as nature intended.

Photo credit: Kamalnv, CC BY 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons The photo is of a different cobra.

© Copyright Forest Voices of India, 2022

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Amur Leopards Officially Declared Critically Endangered — Alluring Planet

Filed Under: animal protection in Asia by sharonstjoan — Leave a comment
May 4, 2022

According to a recent announcement from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), leopards living in Russia’s Far East Amur region have just been officially declared critically endangered. The Amur leopard has been officially declared a critically endangered species. They were once found in large numbers in Russia and China, but now live only […]

Amur Leopards Officially Declared Critically Endangered — Alluring Planet
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Kangaroo’s amazing recovery

Filed Under: animal protection in Asia, animals, forests, wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife rescue by sharonstjoan — Leave a comment
August 14, 2021

Kangaroo wouldn’t pose for a photo, so this is another bonnet macaque.
Shantanu Kuveskar, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

First, Kangaroo isn’t really a kangaroo (because this is India, not Australia). Actually, he is a bonnet macaque, a monkey, who weighs seven and a half pounds (3.39 kilos). On November 3 of last year, he had an accident. Some very kind people rescued him and he was transported from a southern suburb of Bangalore to the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre. Monkeys, of course, climb to get from place to place, and he had been swinging along on the electric wires over the main road in order to get across it when he was electrocuted.

For any birds or animals, electrocutions tend to be really serious, and his prognosis for survival was indeed grave. For three months, he received lots of treatments and then had to have three of his limbs amputated. (The photo is of a different bonnet macaque, not Kangaroo.)

Amazingly, he was a cheerful monkey through everything. He recovered and nothing seemed to dampen his spirits.

When he was moved into the large monkey enclosure which had special platforms for easy movement, he was with other young, orphaned monkeys. Dr. Roopa writes that “Kangaroo immediately took charge of them all, in spite of his handicaps, and he could be seen, grooming them, playing, and enjoying their company.”

With just one leg, he used his tail to help him balance, and he hopped with great ease just like a kangaroo, hence his name. With his handicaps, he wouldn’t be able to be released and the plan was for him to live permanently at the center. Being a clever monkey, Kangaroo made his own plans. He watched and observed the routine at the center, and one day, while the keeper was in the enclosure doing cleaning, he managed to slip right past him and out the door.

Of course, he wasn’t going far. Now he still lives at the center, but he’s free to move anywhere and can be found hopping from tree to tree, having the time of his life, just as if he had all four limbs.

He gets a delicious dinner – a plate of his favorite food like shelled ground nuts, banana, cucumber, corn, sweet potato, pomegranate, carrots, and beans is placed up on the roof for him, which he polishes off. He has a good friend and companion now – another resident monkey, Taatha, which means grandfather, who is there for lifetime care and is also free to move about the center.

Thanks to Dr. Roopa’s expertise and the good efforts of his caregivers, Kangaroo is strong and feels well.

Despite all he has gone through, he is an amazing monkey, with an indomitable spirit. He’s made new friends and has done very well for himself – now living out his life in a great place – with no electric wires, no cars, or pollution – just an idyllic, beautiful green forest, with people to feed him.

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Unique opportunity to attend the virtual Asia for Animals Conference, 2021

Filed Under: animal protection in Asia, art and culture of India, environmental programs for students, learning about nature, sacred ecology by sharonstjoan — Leave a comment
April 19, 2021

In normal years, to attend the Asia for Animals Conference – which is always lively and dynamic – you’ll need to spend several thousand dollars and around 15 hours flying across the Pacific.

This year however, due to the pandemic, you can stay in your armchair and pay $20 to be part of the virtual two-day AfA Conference – which is a good deal.

Well, it’s really a two-night conference, from the U.S., due to the time differences.

Speakers

Jane Goodall will give the keynote address. Other speakers will be well-known animal activists from China, Nepal, India, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Singapore, and other Asian countries. The conference will be in English.

The 2021 Conference will be put on jointly by Blue Cross of India and FIAPO (the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organizations). Dr. Chinny Krishna, one of the founders of these two organizations will give the opening address.

Around twenty sessions and panel discussions will take up highly relevant topics.

One session will focus on building an Asian movement to end live animal markets and the wildlife trade.

A panel discussion on Spirituality and Animal Protection will include Dr. Nanditha Krishna, well-known author of many books on animals, the world of nature, and Hinduism – along with Manoj Gautam from Nepal, Wolf Gordon Clifton of the Animal People Forum, and others. The traditions of many Asian countries go back 5,000 years or longer – so there’s quite a lot to cover.

Jill Robinson, of the Animals Asia Foundation, who has led the struggle to free bears from bear bile farms, will speak about the cat and dog meat trade.

Other sessions will feature – fading out the use of animals in tourism, the role of a plant-based movement, and the role of children in animal rights advocacy. Sessions will also focus on farm animals, wild animals, and companion animals.

Asia for Animal Conferences have been held every year and a half since they began in 2001, twenty years ago, in the Philippines. Animal advocacy in Asia faces challenges – as is the case everywhere in the world. The animal movement in Asia is led by remarkable people, who set an amazing example, marked by a high level of energy, enthusiasm, courage, and perseverance.

You can view the Conference program here: https://www.asiaforanimals.com/conference-2021
Scroll down until you see the schedule. You can see the times in the left margin. “IST” is Indian time.

Time Differences

The time difference between U.S. Mountain time (Utah time) and IST (Indian Standard Time) is 11 and a half hours.

This means that, for U.S. attendees, the conference does not start on April 24, instead it starts this coming Friday – in the evening of April 23, at 10 pm, Utah time – or 12 midnight EST.

To convert Indian time (IST) to Utah time, subtract 11 and a half hours.

If you’re not much of a night owl, you may still want just to stay up for one or two events – or if you’re a morning songbird, you may want to wake up for two or three early morning events, starting at around 5 am. Or, you may be completely captivated and want to watch the entire conference – for all of both nights.

In any case, whatever you can watch, it will be fascinating. It will give you an insight into the dynamic work of Asian animal advocates, who stand up for the animals in Asia – and it will be a lot easier than flying across the Pacific for 15 hours!

How to sign up

Go to this link https://afa2021.eventuresindia.com/register

But first do this: Before registering, you are advised to call your credit card company and notify them that you are about to make a foreign purchase. These days, credit card companies may block your card for making an “unusual” (i.e. foreign) purchase. If you call them in advance, there will be no problem.

Registration for the two-day conference is $20.

Relevance to wild lands

All efforts to save the earth’s animals (both wild and domestic animals – and ourselves too) depend on the continued existence of wild habitat, which means wild lands – which means renewing the earth. We all live on the same earth – one earth.

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We look forward to seeing you at the AfA Conference this Friday evening!

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