- Title: 'Noah's Ark' in Bolivia rescues animals fleeing wildfires
- Date: 30th August 2019
- Summary: AGUAS CALIENTES, BOLIVIA (AUGUST 30, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF WILD PIGLET AT SHELTER VARIOUS OF TURTLES AT SHELTER VARIOUS OF ARMADILLO THAT WAS NEARLY BLINDED BY FIRE BUILDING AT SHELTER (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BIOLOGIST WHO WORKS AT THE SHELTER, RAUL ROJAS, SAYING: "Animals with health conditions arrive here. Some are serious. What we're seeking is for these animals to recover so that they can return to their natural habitat. But there are cases such as those animals that were mentioned before who have had major amputation surgery or animals who are at risk of losing their eyesight, or lost it partially. In those cases those animals are not going to be able to return to the wild. They will be looked after by shelters that can provide a quality of life in captivity." VARIOUS OF RESCUED FALCON WORKERS AT SHELTER LOOKING AT BIRD VARIOUS OF RESCUED PARROT (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BIOLOGIST WHO WORKS AT THE SHELTER, RAUL ROJAS, SAYING: "Firefighters are being deployed daily to the area affected by the fires. An intensive search is in place to try and locate animals that need help and to transport them to the centre." STAFF AT SHELTER LOOKING AT RESCUED ANIMAL (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BIOLOGIST WHO WORKS AT THE SHELTER, RAUL ROJAS, SAYING: "Another effort that has been started in conjunction with the Robore Municipality and the Environment Ministry is placing feeding points and drinking fountains for wildlife in fire-affected areas that have been devastated, that no longer have food or means of hydration for animals." VARIOUS OF BIRDS IN SHELTER GROUNDS AT SHELTER VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTERS WORKING TO PUT OUT FIRE IN FOREST
- Embargoed: 14th September 2019 00:50
- Keywords: animals shelter wildfires Bolivia
- Location: AGUAS CALIENTES, BOLIVIA
- City: AGUAS CALIENTES, BOLIVIA
- Country: Bolivia
- Topics: Disaster/Accidents,Wildfires/Forest Fires,Editors' Choice
- Reuters ID: LVA001AUEVVPJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The tiny victims of Bolivia's raging wildfires have taken some respite in this animal shelter in Aguas Calientes.
These animals are the lucky ones. At least one million hectares, or approximately 3,800 square miles, have been impacted by the fires across Bolivia, leaving behind an uncountable death toll of flora and fauna.
Biologist Raul Rojas runs this shelter, where he rehabilitates these animal survivors of the fires to eventually return to the wild. Animals whose injuries are too grave to go back will remain on the shelter.
Amongst the patients here is a small armadillo who was left nearly blinded by the wildfires.
Bolivia is one of the poorest nations in the western hemisphere, but one of the richest in biodiversity. And swathes of the country has been left charred, barren and will be unable to sustain animal life for a while to come.
Authorities are looking to set up feeding stations and water fountains to help bring forests back to life.
President Evo Morales has blamed drought for the fires burning across the Andean nation. The fires in the scrubby forests in Bolivia's southeast are separate from but concurrent to thousands of wildfires also decimating the neighbouring Brazilian Amazon.
(Production: Santiago Limachi, Monica Machicao) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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