A day in the life of a rescuer

Rescuing is no easy task, especially rescuing wildlife. Rescuing an animal is similar to providing EMT services to humans, except that it is tougher because animals enter a state of panic when they are injured or sick, and start isolating themselves. It is difficult to establish trust, understand the personality of the animal, rescue and provide first aid in a matter of a few minutes. Rescuers sometimes are able to rescue an animal within half an hour, and sometimes have to wait for three to four hours to save a life. On an average, a rescuer travels around Bangalore, and saves 9-11 lives a day.

Species specific behaviours
Species specific animal behaviour is an important aspect of a rescue operation. Rescuers are trained to read and observe these cues and approach the animal accordingly. For example, if one were to rescue a snake, they would have to carry a sack, a tube, and a hook. Snakes use their body musk to defend themselves and escape. It is important to handle them with utmost carefulness to avoid getting hurt. For birds, a cloth, a safe box and nerve calming medicines are needed. Birds are not comfortable with human touch and proximity can cause severe anxiety which sometimes leads to death. Rescuers learn to handle birds without causing them anxiety.

With animals who live in groups, like macaques, rescuers have to deal with their whole pack to be able to rescue the one in need. Animals living in groups are very protective and territorial about each other. Rescuers seem as a threat to the pack and they often get into defense mode. In some cases, our rescuers have spent 6 hours trying to rescue one animal by isolating them from the group.

Condition and state of rescue

The next crucial aspect is the condition and state of rescue. When an animal is found injured, there could be two scenarios - the animal is in a lot of pain, and hence not able to move; or, the animal is in pain, but is also terrified and the adrenaline is helping them to defend themselves. They often get violent and want to be left alone. However, leaving them alone could lead to further increase in the severity of the injury or even death. For animals who are barely able to move, the rescue is complete in a few minutes. However, for animals who have become very defensive due to fear, rescuers sometimes spend a couple of hours to finally capture them. Post capture, handling the animal to give them first aid, without getting attacked, requires a lot of skill and concentration. For birds, the first step is to cover their beaks and talons. For mammals, to cover their paws and face. And for snakes, to cover their whole body and face.

When an animal is displaced, they are usually at their baby stage and hence, unable to go back to their territory. It is easier to capture them and provide them first aid. They are most often scared and anxious, and rescuers have to make sure they are comfortable and in a relaxed mental space. Too much stress on these baby animals can cause further physical and mental health issues.

When an animal is stuck, it takes hours to rescue them. We often get cases of kites entangled in manja threads. These kites are often stuck high up on trees. The first task is to bring them down, for which rescuers either use high end reaching equipment, or climb in terraces to rescue the bird. After the bird is brought down, the next task is to cut the thread and release them from the wire. Then first aid is given on spot and the bird is brought back to the centre.

While these efforts might not be as visible on social media, without our rescuers, no life will be saved. Rescuers go through a lot of mental and physical exhaustion. A lot of trauma and compassion fatigue becomes part of their daily routine. But the satisfaction derived from saving lives, is what keeps them going!

Authored by Praanjali Shukla, Volunteer at PfA Bangalore