Patna District, Bihar; Chirang District, Assam; September 2, 2016: Field teams from IFAW-WTI’s Emergency Relief Network (ERN) have been working in flood-affected districts of Bihar and Assam to provide veterinary care to distressed animals, particularly livestock.

The ERN teams were mobilised when reports of intense flooding first began coming in towards the end of July. They conducted a reconnaissance of flood prone sites and reached out to the relevant state and district-level Animal Husbandry departments as well as National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel. Once the rain stopped and water began to recede, Veterinary relief camps were set up.

In Bihar, the field team organised 11 veterinary camps across the Maner and Patna Sadar blocks of the Patna district. Around 550 animals, mostly cows and buffaloes, were provided treatment – mainly for high fever, diarrhoea and malnutrition, with a few cases of foot-and-mouth disease and mastitis.

In Assam, the ERN team organised four veterinary camps in Choto Nilibari, Tukrajhar, Nilibari, and Dabor Bill in the Chirang district. Assisted by local veterinarians, they provided 2700 animals (mostly cows, buffaloes, goats and pigs), deworming medicine and treatment for malnutrition, diarrhoea and fever.

Other ERN teams are now on the ground in Molai Kathoni in Assam and the D’ Ering Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh, and will be commencing flood relief activities soon.