ATL Exemption Number - IND 00117
What to do?
Emergency
Call the police if the animal is in immediate danger (in traffic, being abused, stuck in a water catchment etc) - 999
You can also call the SPCA at the same time and reach their emergency hotline on - 27111000
For wildlife, it is critically important to keep the situation calm, quiet and to reduce the need to handle (or manhandle) any wild animal. Look at what is around you to help contain the animal without needing to touch it (or simply observe the animal and manage the surroundings until professional help arrives), keep crowds back and quiet, and call the above immediately for assistance.
Capture Myopathy
https://www.kfbg.org/en/KFBG-blog/post/Frightened-to-death/
Capture or exertional myopathy is a condition that happens in some mammals when they are extremely stressed. It is named “capture myopathy” as it is usually triggered when wild animals (particularly hoofed mammals) are being chased and captured by predators. The condition involves a complicated chemical reaction in the muscles of the deer that cannot be reversed, leading to shut down of major organs and death. Although capture myopathy can be induced naturally when the animal is chased by natural predators, these events are often of short duration and may not reach a level which triggers myopathy. In rescue cases, prolonged human proximity and handling increases the probability of triggering myopathy as these timid wild animals are not used to having close interaction with humans.
Symptoms of capture myopathy include a drastic increase in heart rate and body temperature, muscle stiffness, paralysis and excretion of dark-red colored urine. In some cases, animals suffering this condition may die within hours (acute myopathy) or they may die days or even weeks after the event (chronic myopathy). The deer are literally “frightened to death” as the title suggests.
Barking deer are particularly susceptible to capture myopathy as they are known to be very shy and are stressed very easily. As capturing and handling of the animals cannot be prevented during rescue, capture myopathy is a concern. Even experienced wildlife rehabilitators cannot guarantee the success of each rescue case. Keeping the animal calm and minimising stress during the rescue and rehabilitation process is a big challenge that professional wildlife rescuers and rehabilitators face. This is one of the reasons why rescue and rehabilitation of wild animals and particularly deer should only be performed by trained and authorised wildlife rescuers with knowledge of the myopathy risk.
Photo Credit - KFBG and Wild Creatures Hong Kong
