Wildlife emergencies on 'Born to be Wild'

BORN TO BE WILD

“Wildlife Emergencies”

May 8, 2013

As animal doctors, veterinarians are also on-call 24/7; they are also called to respond to animal emergencies.

In an email sent to BORN TO BE WILD, a viewer asked for the help of Doc Nielsen Donato with the case of a macaque that seemed to have gone wild and has shown signs of mental distress.  Doc Nielsen did not hesitate to respond to the case. Because of the poor condition of the macaque, Doc Nielsen decided to surrender the animal to the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) rescue center where it can be cared for in a bigger facility.

Doc Nielsen also returns to a rescue center in Batangas where there are wild animals in need of medical attention.  The animals in the center were surrendered by former owners who kept them as pets. But later on, these animals grew bigger until their owners could no longer take care of them.One of the animals that caught Doc Nielsen’s eye is a bird called a cassowary. It looked physically frail and thin, so our wild vet decided to give the bird the necessary treatment.  Aware of its strength, Doc Nielsen carefully handled the cassowary.  But the bird showed his wild side and accidentally wounded Doc Nielsen. It’s all in a day’s work for the wildlife vet. Philippine forests host a variety of wildlife like birds and primates; but sadly, more and more animals are finding their way into human custody, either because of the illegal wildlife trade or the loss of habitat. The link between biodiversity and forests is an important one, and everyday silent workers like forest rangers and scientists devote their lives to the cause of protecting forests, sometimes at a deadly cost.