Flood Season: How to Respond to Displaced Wildlife in Your Home

With the possibility of rising flood waters and while many of our homes may be flooded and disrupted, so are the homes of the animals around us. It should be expected to see many displaced animals, especially ones you would never guess you would see around your home such as snakes, caimans, large birds and even sightings of river otters and capybaras.

Please understand that these animals mean no harm, and they certainly do not intend on staying. Like many of us, their intention is to survive. They do not want to be there as much as we do not want them to be. THEY WILL LEAVE ON THEIR OWN.

Instead, Wildlife and Environmental Protection of T&T (WEPTT) has these tips.

If you encounter an animal: 1) Leave it alone – Do not approach the animal because a cornered animal will defend itself. Take a picture if possible so we can identify the animal accurately. 2) Call WEPTT at 497-3373 or 323-9344 or 748-3936 or 341-9983 so we can properly identify the animal and advise you what you can do or if expert assistance is required. 3) Do not try to move the animal or get close to it without first identifying the animal with an expert and finding out if its possible and safe to do. They also guide and assist you in contacting officers of the Wildlife Section. 4) Most importantly, do not kill the animal. It does not want to be in your home as much as you do not want it to be there. Not only is killing the animal unnecessary, chances are, it is against the law since the animals are prudent to a sustainable bio-diverse environment that is already disturbed by the floods.

Our only intention of intervention is if the animal is injured or poses a direct threat to human life. A caiman in your yard swimming by in 3 feet of water is just going to be there until he finds somewhere safe to stay or until the flood waters subside and he is able to find and return to his home. We urge all citizens to not intervene a distressed or displaced animal, doing so can result in injuring yourself or the animal.

Again, we remind everyone to please be patient and let the animals go away on his or her own.

General guidelines to prepare for any disaster: 1) Water - a) Ensure there is at least one gallon of water per person for three days minimum. b) Water Purification - You can heat water to a rolling boil for one minute, or use commercial purification tablets to purify water. You can also use household liquid chlorine bleach if it's pure, unscented and 5.25% sodium hypochlorite. To purify water with bleach remember: To 1 Quart add 2 drops. To 1 Gallon add 8 drops. To 5 Gallons add 1/2 teaspoon. Note - If water is cloudy, double the recommended dosage of bleach. After adding bleach, shake or stir and leave standing for 30 minutes. Always remember that toxic chemicals can contaminate floodwater. DO NOT try to treat or drink floodwater.

2) Ensure all utilities that are damaged such as leaking or broken pipes and strong smells of natural gas are fully isolated. Turn off the main breaker, disconnect gas tanks etc. And do not turn them on unless it is repaired.

3) Tips - 1) Keep stored tin food. 2) Secure your documents in plastic or waterproofed bags. 3) Portable radios with spare batteries will be vital for news. 4) Keep portable chargers for cell phones

4) A major part of preparing for a disaster is being organized. Have a family disaster plan and practice it with drills, or talk it over with the family. Have a common safe point/s to run to in case of an emergency, so by default everyone runs to the same general area. Assemble your supplies in multiple locations in case a location becomes compromised.

5) Each person needs a copy of safety and emergency personnel numbers, and children especially need to be briefed on what to do and how to dial on the phone.

6) In the aftermath of a disaster remember these simple key points - 1) Maintaining proper hygiene. 2) Maintaining proper sanitation. 3) Purifying water (if necessary) 4) Preventing the spread of disease.