It isn’t easy to run a 24 hour rescue program; it is even more daunting in a city like Delhi. Many might believe in a city with millions of people that there wouldn’t be much wildlife. However, that isn’t the case. Therefore, Wildlife SOS is here to help when people and wildlife unexpectedly collide.
Wildlife SOS has a 24 hour rescue team that is prepared for just about anything. We field calls to help many species of animals in distress. Down time is a rarity with the men who make up the team; however, when there is a moment to catch up with them, the stories they tell about a typical day are a combination of Superman, Sherlock Holmes and Indiana Jones.
The calls come from all over the city and from all different types of people- young or old, rich or poor. They usually have one of two things in common. Either they are unable to turn a blind eye to an animal suffering, or they are concerned that a wayward animal needs help finding its way back to the wild.
When the phone rings, we never know what the emergency will bring. It could be a monkey that is in shock after getting an electrical burn. It could be a homeowner that found a snake curled up in the washing machine and needs help safely removing it. It could be a pedestrian who saw an injured bird on the side of the road. There is just no telling what the emergency will be.
The goal with the program is to immediately release most of the animals that come in through this program back to the wild. However, there are many cases that the animal team encounters where the animal has suffered minor to major injuries. In those cases, the animal is taken to a veterinarian for treatment. If long term care is needed while the animal recovers, then it goes to a rescue center. Here it can spend a few days or several months recovering- there is no time limit.
This program has been in place for several years and has saved thousands of animals. As India becomes more urban, and displaced wildlife continues to be by-product of progress, then the demand and the need for our 24 hour rescue will unfortunately expand. You can help our rescue program by making a donation today at www.wildlifesos.org/donate
