Coming back to life: Experts highlight the challenges of saving wild animals in Mumbai

It took cranes ropes rescue teams and hours of desperate effort But for the juvenile blue whale that washed ashore on Mumbairsquos rocky Bandra coastline on June 28 help came too late The 26foot marine giant passed away by afternoon as personnel from the forest department fire brigade BMC marine experts and local fishermen worked against the tide to guide it back into deeper waters What began as a rescue mission into a sombre reminder that saving a wild animal is rarely as simple as getting it out of dangerEvery year Mumbairsquos urban landscape throws people into encounters with wildlife from pythons in housing societies and crocodiles in creeks to birds tangled in kite strings civets trapped inside buildings and marine animals drifting too close to shorePawan Sharma President of Resqink Association for Wildlife WelfarePawan Sharma president of RAWW says every wildlife relocation begins with a simple but crucial understanding that no two rescues are the same ldquoWildlife relocation is totally a different exercise depending on situation to situation and species to species and in fact individual to individual in the same speciesrdquo he says ldquoEven they carry personalities and characteristic behaviour just like us and in distress they have individual and different ways to respondrdquo Rather than being an emotional decision Sharma calls relocation ldquoa scientific intervention based on proper evaluation of pros and cons for the animal people around and conservation effortsrdquoAccording to him protocols vary widely depending on the species involved While a kite aggressively defending its nest may simply require authorities to cordon off the area a leopard sighting or a snake rescue follows an entirely different set of assessments Marine mammals however remain among the most difficult animals to rescue ldquoWe need to understand that globally as well as nationally we are much behind in marine wildlife conservationrdquo he says adding that Maharashtrarsquos dedicated Mangrove Cell for marine wildlife conservation was established only in 2012 meaning expertise and data are still evolvingSoorraj Saha who has been rescuing animals for 20 years now explains the need to improve quick response teams for wild animal rescues in Mumbai PicSayyed Sameer AbediHe also highlights the logistical challenge of coordinating multiple agencies ldquoThe Forest Department BMC Fire Disaster Management veterinarians and marine wildlife rescuers all come from different wings and getting all of them together for executing an emergency operation is a very big challengeFor veteran animal rescuer Soorraj Saha who has two decades of experience handling domestic and wild animals one of the biggest challenges in wildlife rescue is not always the animal but everything happening around it He is also is the Honorary Animal Welfare Officer HAWO appointed by the Bombay High Court to monitor implement and ensure compliance with animal welfare regulations across the State of Maharashtra ldquoThe coordination is a challengerdquo he says explaining that rescuers often have to secure the area manage crowds and protect bystanders before they can even approach an animal ldquoSometimes the police arrive a little late controlling people becomes a little bit challenging because everybody is on social media and they want to force their own opinionsrdquoSaha points out that most wildlife rescuers are volunteers from diverse professions who dedicate their own time and money to rescue operations While NGOs and experienced rescuers conduct training sessions for agencies such as the fire department he believes India lacks a structured standardised training system ldquoI think they should still have more training in a very systematic wayrdquo he says adding that rescue courses should become mandatoryHe also calls for greater recognition and protection for volunteers who routinely risk injury while handling wildlife ldquoThese guys should be recognised firstrdquo Saha says suggesting governmentissued identity cards insurance coverage and a national registry to track trained rescuers and their skill sets He believes dedicated quickresponse teams with experienced personnel would significantly improve coordination during complex rescues especially as unusual wildlife strandings become increasingly common along Mumbairsquos suburbs and its coastlinelsquoWe are short of staffrsquoAn Assistant Conservator of Forest explains the legalities and complexities involving the rescues of wild animalsWhenever some wild animal has to be rescued it depends on the schedule of the animalrdquo an Assistant Conservator of Forest ACF explains Every wildlife rescue begins with the law The response is guided by the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 which classifies animals into different schedules each carrying its own level of legal protection and protocol While Schedule I species require stricter permissions because of their high conservation value animals listed under Schedules II III and IV are governed by lesser stringent norms The urgency of the rescue also depends on the level of threat posed to people and the condition of the animalThe officer acknowledges that carrying out these rescues is becoming increasingly challenging as Mumbairsquos rapid redevelopment pushes more wildlife into urban spaces ldquoWe are very short of staff Budget is one of the constraints as wellrdquo the ACF says noting that the division is responsible for the entire city as encounters with snakes crocodiles and other wild animals continue to rise The shortage of manpower has made support from NGOs indispensableDespite these constraints the officer says rescue teams remain committed to responding swiftly ldquoPeople are trying hard We do our best even with the limited supplies and resources Usually 90 per cent of the time people are on timerdquo the officer adds While resources may be stretched the commitment to protecting both wildlife and the public remains stronglsquoThe calf was weak and injuredrsquoShaunak Modi marine ecologist explains that whales can be stranded for various reasons like injury illness or disorientationShaunak Modi Director of Coastal Conservation FoundationAccording to Shaunak Modi marine ecologist and director of the Coastal Conservation Foundation CCF rescuing a stranded whale involves far more than simply getting it back into the water ldquoDealing with strandings can have both health hazards as well as legal repercussionsrdquo he says noting that all marine mammals and sea turtles are protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 meaning they cannot be handled without the necessary permissions from the Forest DepartmentIn Mumbai CCF operates the Mumbai Stranding Response Network in collaboration with the Mangrove Foundation and the Maharashtra Forest Departmentrsquos Mangrove Cell alongside veterinarians and wildlife rescue organisations Once a stranding is reported by first responders the network informs the Forest Department and dispatches a trained team to assess the animal ldquoDepending on the species and its health further action is takenrdquo Modi says While dead animals are documented measured and sent for necropsy live animals are shifted for treatment before any release is consideredReferring to the recent Bandra whale stranding Modi says it is impossible to determine the exact cause of death before scientific examination However ldquothe whale calf was weak and was also injured from being stranded on rocksrdquo He explains that unlike dolphins or sea turtles whales are extremely difficult to move because of their enormous size Even if a young whale is successfully returned to deeper waters survival is not guaranteed ldquoMarine mammal calves live with their mothers for the first few years of their livesrdquo he says ldquoIt is essential that its mother be found and the calf is released in her presence The odds of this happening anywhere in the world are quite lowrdquo Modi adds that while strandings can occur for several reasons including illness injury disorientation and changing ocean conditions animals that wash ashore are often already too weak to survive on their own