Floods- suffering fauna and remedies

Abstract

Climatic changes are occurring at a faster pace than ever before and Natural disasters are occurring now more frequently. Floods, as one of the Natural disaster is causing heavy losses to human beings as well as to animals, especially livestock and wildlife. Fast and large volumes of water present in the floods, destroy vegetation and other habitat structures of the wild and domestic animals, in minutes, but it can take many years or decades to return, if ever possible. Animals that can fly, may be able to escape, depending upon the severity of weather system. Wild fauna have to face the challenge of finding food in extreme conditions, some may even compromise by reducing their energy requirements, or by ?sleeping? for extended periods. The extent to which wild animals are affected by floods will also depend upon their sensing ability of what?s going to happen and how to respond. Animals, which are having dependent young in burrows, may by the worst sufferers, animals facing flood may be trapped far away from their homes, facing panic and more enemy threats on return. Fast and huge volumes of water from floods can also carry high levels of pollution leading to killing or diseased condition of aquatic animals. Livestock impacted by floods, is mostly fatigued and stressed, upon approaching these animals, they may become aggressive and cause nuisance. Emergency plan should be ready all the time to save livestock. Advance planning for domestic and wild animals (which is mostly not paid attention) is needed in flood prone areas well in time to save them especially in developing countries. When flood comes, animals should be moved to safety, by opening gates and removing fencing. Local authorities and state as well as Centre Government can play an important role to reduce mortality and disease consequences. . KEYWORDS :Floods, Livestock, Climate change, Suffering fauna, Emergency plan