Week after Nepal quake: Injured, abandoned animals struggling to cope

Kathmandu, May 2
A week after the devastating Nepal quake that caused an unspeakable human tragedy, thousands of animals - injured or left to fend for themselves - are also struggling to cope with the aftermath of the calamity.

"Many have sustained injuries after being trapped in collapsed buildings or hit by falling debris, thousands of animals have been crushed to death or buried alive in the disaster," according to NGO Humane Society International.

"In village after village, we are seeing a wide variety of animal issues here such as animals lacking shelter, food and medicines. We were able to provide treatment for some physical injuries such as cuts and lacerations, but we realise that the disaster for the surviving animals has just begun.

"In the absence of basic needs most of the goats are already showing signs of respiratory stress and almost all animals have diarrhoea," said HSI Asia director Rahul Sehgal.

He said the situation warrants an urgent need to provide veterinary care to prevent onset of life threatening diseases.

"These animals have already survived a large scale disaster and it would be heart-breaking to see them succumb to something as easily preventable as respiratory diseases," he said.

Animals injured or abandoned as a result of the devastating earthquake are receiving emergency veterinary aid and care from Humane Society International's animal rescue team.

"HSI is working with our partner organisations such as Animal Welfare Network of Nepal in Kathmandu to provide life-saving veterinary medicines, vaccinations, surgical equipment and other supplies, as well as looking into providing shelter and food for sick, injured, lost and abandoned animals," an HSI release said.

Sehgal said for many people, their animals are all they are now left with.

"Today our team visited several affected areas where the surviving animals are living in stressful conditions, often exposed to the elements and in need of basic veterinary care and medicines. We are attempting to locate a facility to serve as a temporary shelter for animals who have been left behind as well as for animals in critical need as assessed by the team."