Every month, we receive hundreds of calls regarding urban wildlife in distress. To combat the rising number of conflict cases, Wildlife SOS operates a 24×7 emergency rescue helplines manned by our Rapid Response Team in three cities:
Delhi NCR – +91-9871963535
Agra & Mathura in Uttar Pradesh – +91-9917109666
Vadodara, Gujarat – +91-9825011117
If you come across any wild animal in distress in the following cities, please alert our rescue team on these numbers as soon as possible!
The month of November concluded with the rescue of the rare and endangered Indian Pangolin that was discovered by local residents of a village in Uttar Pradesh. These scaly ant-eaters gain the nomenclature of being the world’s most trafficked animals, in demand for their scales made up of keratin. The pangolin was rescued by our Rapid Response Unit and released into its natural habitat after thorough examination.
Our Rapid Response Unit from Uttar Pradesh also rescued a Barn Owl, injured after being entangled in manjha (thread coated with shards of glass used for flying kites). The Owl received laser therapy for his injuries, and was released once deemed fit to fly.
A rare sand boa was also rescued from a prayer hall in Delhi, when one of the staff working there alerted our rescue hotline. The rescuers reached the location and safely extracted the snake, to be released back to its natural habitat. We are grateful to the alertness of the staff at the prayer hall for reaching out to us, to ensure safety of the visitors and the snake.
In an unusual situation, a fish-hook caught an unexpected bait – a mugger crocodile! The unsuspecting victim of a fish-hook, a mugger crocodile, found itself in extreme pain and discomfort after the fish-hook was jammed in its upper jaw. A rapid response team from Agra was dispatched to the crocodile’s location and it was safely extracted from the shallow pond to our transit facility in Agra. The fish-hook was removed by our veterinary team and the crocodile was rendered laser therapy to expedite healing. After remaining under observation for a few days, the crocodile was released back into the wild away from human habitation.
Our rapid response team in Maharashtra rescued an adult, male hyena who fell into an uncovered well. The concerned villagers heard unusual cries from the well and were shocked to spot the hyena. Being a part of the capacity-building workshops organised by Wildlife SOS and Maharashtra Forest Department, they immediately reached out and cordoned off the area, to prevent a crowd from gathering. The hyena was extracted out of the well in a trap cage and released away from human habitation after quick medical examination.
In another exciting rescue, Wildlife SOS team operating out of Vadodara busted a poaching racket by rescuing a hedgehog! In India, hedgehogs are hunted locally for their meat as well as for medicinal purposes on account of various superstitious myths and beliefs attributed to them. They are also kept as exotic pets in most countries, which is illegal and unethical.
Wildlife SOS Rapid Response Teams saved 323 lives in November!
