[acx_slideshow name=”ERN 29082017 Flood Relief”]

West Bengal, Bihar and Assam, August 29, 2017: As devastating monsoon floods rage across large parts of eastern and north-eastern India, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) have been working through their Emergency Relief Network (ERN) to help distressed animals, both wild and domestic.

ERN teams are currently engaged in flood-relief activities in the Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal, parts of northern Bihar, and the Chirang and Kokrajhar districts of Assam.

An estimated 5000 animals have been affected across four administrative blocks – Itahar, Hemtabad, Raiganj and Karandighi – in Uttar Dinajpur ERN teams are working in concert with People for Animals to provide emergency aid to animals in Itahar and Raiganj, which are the worst affected. Fodder has been distributed for about 3000 heads of livestock and medicines have also been provided. Wild animals are also being rescued and released or handed over to the forest department.

ERN teams will continue to provide aid to flood-affected animals, expanding their scope of operations in the coming days.

ERN members Divyaraj Shah and Rahul Kumar are on the ground in Bihar and are being assisted by volunteers from a local NGO. They have helped release (in accordance with established protocols) about 50 hog deer that were rescued by the forest department in and around Udaypur. Fodder has been distributed for an estimated 4000 heads of livestock. The situation in Araria, which is also severely affected by the floods, is currently being assessed.

In Assam, ERN teams have approved requests for conducting animal health camps in flood-affected areas of Chirang and Kokrajhar districts. The camps will be held in villages located near Chakrashilla Wildlife Sanctuary and Manas Tiger Reserve.

ERN teams will continue to provide aid to flood-affected animals, expanding their scope of operations in the coming days.