Do you have a wild animal by accident?

When it seems that all is lost… There’s always a helping hand ready to help!

Sloths are one of the most affected species by illegal traffic in Colombia with alarming percentage of mortality of captured individuals (more than 90%). Accompanied by deforestation and fragmentation of their habitat, these animals are in danger of extinction.

Traffickers extract sloths from the forest and sell them on the roads for a low price as ten US dollars. Their claws and teeth are cut (in some occasions brutally). Animals are druged so they can be easily manipulated. Moreover, the sellers are giving wrong information about the feeding and further treatment of the sloths so citizens/buyers have an impression that these animals are eating whatever you find in a refrigerator.

Being taken from their habitat, without their house – the forest, without their mother and their very particular alimentation and ritualistic habits, they get depressed, they refuse to eat and very soon they die.

The lack of knowledge when trying to help in cases like this leads to death of these sweet and unique animals.

This first aid aims to give more appropriate assistance and guidance what to do with trafficked animals.

• Be careful when manipulating an animal, it is of vital importance to avoid any type of noise and isolate the animal from people
• Keep a wild animal in a box or cage so the animal won’t get hurt trying to escape (adults)
• Put an animal in a calm, dark and warm place
• Wrap an animal (babies and juveniles) with a tender cloth, warm it up with a bottle with warm water
• Hydrate offering drop by drop of physiological solution, without forcing an animal; offer young leaves and buds of cecropia tree or other that you are sure they like
• Do not offer as suggested milk formulas, even less cow milk
• Veterinarian help is needed in cases of severe dehydration, hypothermia, wounds or hemorrhages, burns of fractures
• Do not practice intravenous procedures; in cases use subcutaneous hydration
• Don’t apply any type of vaccines
• Equip with the patience and tender loving care

As soon as you give first aid, please contact competent institution close to you in order to properly attend an animal.

Animals extracted from forest require specific care according to each species. Rehabilitation before releasing to their natural habitats is necessary.