Transport and Handling of Wild Animals

Transport and Handling of Wild Animals

The transport and handling of wild animals is to be undertaken with great care and cautions. The following informations may be of useful with regard to the transport of wild animals.

Reasons for transport of wild animals:

  • Animal exchange programmes.
  • Gift by government.
  • Research purposes.
  • To facilitate out breeding.
  • For therapeutic applications.
  • Confiscated wild animals may need transport.

Handling and Physical Examination of Wild Animals

The wild animals may be handled mainly subsequent to the chemical immobilization, to the possible extent.

Handling the live wild animal or the bird may per haps leads to stress conditions for the concerned wild animal.

During the handling of wild animals, one has bear it in mind that the wild animals should not be stressed too much because of the chances of stress based unfavourable responses in most of the multiple wild animal species.

Handling of Very Young Wild Animals

Infant wild animals are highly prone for the development of hypoglycemia. Further, once sedated among the adult animals, the infant animal may be crushed or even bitten by the other cage mates. The excitement caused during the capture operations might cause such type of unwanted reactions.

Thermoregulatory derangements are to be taken care of immediately in any wild animal species and more particularly in case of infant wild animals.

If infections occur as found by severe dullness and sign of concerned disease, the animal has to be attended immediately. If not immediate collapse occurs in case of wild animals in the neonatal state.

Handling of Elephants

Sternal recumbency has to be avoided in case of elephants because this may cause more interferences during the respiratory activities of these mega herbivores which lack pleura in general.

Elephant hooks are used for the control of the elephants and however, its usage is banned in few places and the legal issues related to it’s usage are to be taken care of, promptly.

Chaining of elephants with adequate pads to avoid the injuries may be carried out in one of the legs especially the hindlimb and the other end of the chain is often tied to the peg or iron bar.

If mild is the painful operation, the animal maybe sedated by xylazine. However, major operations causing severe pain are difficult to be carried out despite the usage of xylazine in the elephants, for a field related immobilization purpose.

Elephants should not be handled to the possible extent without the assistance of mahout or the care taker of the elephant.

Handling of Ursids

Only the immature ursids may be handled by usage of nets. Taking adventurous activities during handling of ursids hast o be avoided since it may cost the life of the handler.

Always it is to be borne in mind that the bears have good stamina and power. More care is to be taken during the routine handling of these species.

Handling of Non-Human Primates

For rough individuals or for the adult non-human primates, the animals may be handled only after the chemical immobilization procedures.

For infant ones, with care a towel may be wrapped around it and the arms may be held back. More care is to be taken to avoid the biting from the non-human primates.

Rhesus macaques or langurs may cause severe injuries if one is careless in handling of these species.

Gloves may be used in case of smaller non-human primates during the handling procedures. But, the gloves reduce the sensations of feelings over the animal and further, it is true that the gloves used during the handling procedures may not be able to prevent the biting activities of the non-human primate.

Handling of Pregnant Wild Animals

The pregnant wild animals should not be handled at all in order to avoid the excitement based unfavourable events.

Avoid transport of pregnant wild animal. Timely feeding and watering is a must while dealing with the pregnant wild animal whether it is a carnivore or herbivore or omnivore.

Watering and Feeding of wild Animals During Transport

The wild animals should not be watered too much during the transport. However, some quantity of water has to be provided and this is in order to avoid the development of dehydration status among the wild animals being transported.

Similarly, the wild animals under transport should not be given stomach full of feed materials. If given fully, the feeds may cause some inconvenience to the animals during the transport of wild animal because of the possibilities of frequent movements of the vehicle or the container.

Avoid any excitement causing activity to the wild animals during transport. Avoid the unnecessary handling of the wild animal during transport.

Maintain calmness during the transport of the wild animals.

Handling of Reptiles

Poisonous snakes need to be handled with great care to avoid being bitten. More care is taken to utilize the suitable gadget for the handling of snakes. For example, the hooks with long handles are much used throughout the world to control and handle the snakes.

During handling, adequate pressure is to be exerted to control the snakes’ head and however the pressure should not be given too much causing crushing of jaws.

Hence, more care and experience are highly required in order to handle the snakes especially the poisonous snakes.

Similarly, minimum three persons are required to handle the pythons. The python should never be handled alone.

Transparent tubes with adequate holes facilitating the ventilation aspects are good to have a better control during the handling of snakes.

Similarly, crocodiles may be handled with many persons. During the handling activities, the tail of the crocodile has to be restrained, in addition to the head. Further, the hindlimbs may be tied together, in addition to the tying of fore limbs together.

Lizard’s head needs to be controlled in addition to the control of limbs and body support may be given especially with the lengthy reptiles.

Handling of Birds

  • Support the body of the anseriformes like geese, duck under the arm and the head and neck of the bird should be supported by another hand.
  • Avoid the carrying of birds like water fowl by wings alone since brachial paralysis may occur in such cases.
  • If the bird is allowed to flap the wing during handling, then stress reactions may be severe in such birds. Hence, the wings and the legs have to be restrained first.
  • During the handling of small birds, the sternum should not be covered because such activities may cause interference with the respiratory activities of the tiny aviary species.
Scroll to Top