The impacts of climate-related emergencies on wildlife, livestock, and companion animals.

I NTE R N A T I ON A L F U ND F O R A N I M A L WEL F A R E

In the Philippines following Typhoon Ketsana — Neck-high
floods forced humans and animals to rooftops. Relief in the
form of water and food was provided for animals and a meal
© IFAW/M. Booth
consisting of bread, canned tuna and water was provided for
humans in the devastated areas.
In 2005, after Hurricane Katrina, the International Fund for Animal Welfare
dispatched emergency rescue teams to New Orleans. The teams methodically
combed the city, door-to-door, rescuing thousands of cats and dogs left behind
by evacuees. Most of the residents left their pets thinking they would be allowed
to return home in a couple days. Others were rescued by first responders and
weren’t allowed to bring their pets. Evacuees who made their way to shelters
or temporary housing were not allowed to bring pets either.
The mass exodus out of New Orleans left animals in a dire Climate change is affecting animals around the world. Not only
situation. IFAW and other animal rescue groups flocked to companion animals stranded after natural disasters, but also
the city and spread across the ruined neighborhoods in boats livestock and wildlife. Species of sea turtles, some old enough
and trucks. Teams were forced to pry open doors and windows to have seen the dinosaurs come and go, are disappearing before
to retrieve pets on the brink of starvation and dehydration. our eyes. Stronger storms are eroding the sandy beaches which
A countless number of dogs and cats drowned. Many residents the turtles use to nest and increasing sand temperatures have
of New Orleans simply refused to leave without their pets. skewed egg sex ratios, producing mostly females. The loss of
They turned away rescuers and stayed in the city for days until summer sea ice is causing starving polar bears to move to towns
they were assured their pets would be evacuated too. Though and human settlements in search of food, leading to human-
thousands of animals were rescued, many were not. The failure wildlife conflict. Harmful algal blooms are stripping seabird
to include animals in the evacuation plans complicated disaster feathers of vital water-proofing properties, causing hundreds
relief efforts, causing death and harm to animals and increasing of seabirds to wash up dead or dying on our beaches. Outbreaks
the suffering of the human victims of the disaster. of the deadly Ebola hemorrhagic fever virus is increasing among
great apes. The future migration of monarch butterflies is
Though disasters of the size and scope of Hurricane Katrina threatened. Long-term climate change adaption strategies
are the exception rather than the rule, the impact of disasters are needed to address many of these animals’ needs.
on animals is not. Every year in the United States fires, floods,
hurricanes and other natural disasters leave thousands of animals Although all animal crises linked to climate change warrant
vulnerable. There is an urgent need to ensure that animals are meaningful attention, this report looks specifically at animals
formally considered in disaster preparedness plans. The after- in distress from climate change in events requiring emergency
math of Hurricane Katrina amplified the message that people intervention. The report details the connection between
care passionately about animals. Most consider pets to be part climate change and the pressing need for animal emergency
of the family and abandoning them is unthinkable. We need preparedness. The report also offers recommendations for
to ensure that policy and planning reflect this sentiment. actions decision-makers and stakeholders can take to mitigate
No one should be forced to leave a pet behind. the impacts of these incidents. With anticipated increases in the
frequency and severity of disasters due to climate change, animals
This isn’t only an issue for the United States. Worldwide, due to and humans need preparedness planning and response efforts
climate change, natural disasters are increasing in frequency and now more than ever.
severity. In developing countries, IFAW often encounters refugee
camps in which animals are not allowed. Again, intervention Sincerely,
is required and animal emergency relief groups, such as IFAW,
spring to action. Other times, animals and evacuees mass
together informally, congregating around cooking and latrine
areas, and creating an increased risk of disease. In these cases, Fred O’Regan
animals must be vaccinated. Sometimes by the thousands. President, IFAW
 Climate
Introduction
Change Importance of Animals

Impor ta nce of A nim a l s

Introduction
Mitigating the devastating effects that climate change will have on our planet
is undeniably the most important environmental challenge our generation, and
indeed future generations, will face. According to the world’s leading scientists,1
climate change will have significant impacts lasting decades and centuries to
come. However, a changing global climate will have — in fact is having — more
immediate detrimental consequences for both human communities and the
countless animals upon which humans depend for sustenance, economic growth
and stability, and social and quality of life development.
Livestock animals are highly valued for their milk, meat, eggs,
draft animal power, wool, leather, and dung. Often one of the
Whether we rely on them for food, only economic activities available to poor people in developing
revenue, companionship, or to help countries, livestock rearing can provide a steady stream of food
balance our ecosystems, animals play and revenue for families, and does not require formal education,
an important role in our lives. The Food large amounts of capital, or land ownership. 6 Owning livestock
and Agriculture Organization of the also increases the essential consumption of protein and creates
United Nations (FAO), the leader in employment opportunities beyond the immediate household. 7
international efforts to defeat hunger,
has recognized the close link between Companion Animals
the welfare of humans and the welfare The link between animal welfare and human welfare extends
of animals. Currently, roughly one billion beyond practical benefits. Positive interactions with animals
people depend directly on animals for provide comfort, social contact and cultural identification for
income, social status and security as people all over the world. 8 Studies illustrate that an individual’s
well as food and clothing. 2 relationship with a companion animal positively impacts social
development and quality of life. In fact, research suggests that
there are both psychological and physical health benefits to
owning and interacting with companion animals. 9 In addition,
there is an increased awareness of the links between human
social, personal, and moral development and attitudes and
behavior towards animals. 10 For example, good animal care

© IFAW/D. Gleason
can be a force for social cohesion within a family, a community
or a business 11 while studies have also recognized a correlation
It is critical to develop and between animal abuse, family violence and other forms of
implement far reaching community violence. 12
measures to combat the
negative long-term impacts of climate Wildlife
change on animals. In the interim, Livestock In addition to the emotional, aesthetic, and social benefits that
however, animals are suffering and More than 900 million people people gain from experiencing wildlife in their natural habitats,
will continue to suffer from the more worldwide are undernourished. wildlife plays a vital role in essential ecological and biological
immediate effects of climate change, Most of those people are in processes on which we depend. 13 Biodiversity, the combination
which also causes suffering and developing countries where of life forms and their interactions with each other and with the
destruction to human communities. secure food supplies often rest of the environment, provides invaluable goods and services
It is becoming increasingly evident depend on the health and that support human survival. 14 Studies show that biodiversity
that as climate change progresses, productivity of animals, and influences the rate, magnitude, direction, and delivery of
natural disasters will occur with these in turn depend on the essential ecosystem processes such as pollination, agricultural
increasing frequency and severity. care and nutrition that animals pest and disease control, nutrient conservation in soil, and water
Prior to, during, and following these receive. 3 Climate change is purification. 15 In order for humans to thrive, we must protect
disastrous events, local communities, expected to worsen this hunger biodiversity. Given that species are disappearing at an alarming
non-governmental organizations, crisis by negatively affecting rate due to the impacts of climate change and human activity,
governments, and other stakeholders crop productivity and loss of this need to prevent the further loss of biodiversity is greater
need to collaborate to prevent the suffering livestock. 4 As climate change than ever.
and death of livestock, companion animals, impacts food availability, livestock
and wildlife — the animals upon which human animals are becoming increasingly
populations depend. important. In Asia, for example, live-
Currently, roughly one billion people
© IFAW/S. Cook

stock currently provides the livelihood

support for over 35 percent of the poor depend directly on animals for
and is seen as one of the key sectors for income, social status, and security
poverty alleviation. 5 as well as food and clothing.

2 Unnatural Disasters International Fund for Animal Welfare 3

Arctic
12
>> US (08)
One of the top 10 years for tornado-
related fatalities since 1953.
1 16
>> Hurricane Paloma (Nov 08)
2nd strongest November Atlantic
hurricane on record. Max winds
230 km/hr.
>> Hurricane Norbert (Oct 08)
Max winds 220 km/hr. Most powerful
2008 East Pacific hurricane.
>> Tropical Storm Alma (May 08)
Max winds 105 km/hr; farthest east
tropical storm to form in the eastern
Pacific since 1970.
Significant
Climate
Anomalies
2007 to 2009
Drought
1 South California (Apr 09)
Worst wildfire in 30
years scorched nearly 8,100
hectares in the area.
2 Mexico (Aug 09)
Worst drought in 70 years,
affecting about 3.5 million
farmers, with 80% of water
reservoirs less than half full,
50,000 cows dead, and 17
million acres of cropland
wiped out.
3  Chile (08)
Worst drought in 50 years
in central and southern parts.
4 US (08)
3rd worst fire season and
persistent drought in western
and southeastern US.
4 Unnatural Disasters
>> Northern Hemisphere Snow Cover Extent (Jan 08)
Largest January snow cover extent on record.
13
23
4
2 lasting more than a week.
5 Argentina, Paraguay,
Uruguay (Jan 08 – Sep 08)
Worst drought in over
50 years in some areas.
6 Spain and Portugal (08)
Worst drought for over a
decade (Spain); worst drought
winter since 1917 (Portugal).
7  Iraq (Aug 09)
Experiences its 4th
consecutive year of drought,
with half the normal rainfall
resulting in less than 60% of
usual wheat harvest.
8  Kenya (09)
Worst drought in almost
two decades affecting 10
million people and causing
crop failure.
Source: NOAA 2007, NOAA 2008, NOAA 2009a
14
Atlan tic
22
21
24
5
9 Australia (Jan 09)
Warmest January in the
1950 – 2008 record. Driest
May on record. Drought
conditions for over a
decade in some parts.
10  Liaoning, China (Aug 09)
Experienced worst
drought in 60 years,
affecting 5 million acres
of arable land and more
than 200,000 livestock.
11  China (Feb 09)
Suffers worst drought
in 50 years, threatening more
than 10 million hectares of
crops and affecting 4 million
people.
>> Arctic Sea-Ice (Sep 07)
>> Eurasian Snow Cover Extent (Jan 08)
Largest January extent on record
and smallest extent during March,
All-time lowest extent April, and boreal spring.
on record in September.
Surpassed previous record 36
set in 2005 by 23%
>> Arctic Sea-Ice (Oct 09) >> Northern Europe (Mar 08)
2nd lowest extent on record Powerful storms with wind gusts
behind Sept 2007. 27 up to 160 km/hr.
15
>> British Isles (Jan 09)
Severe North Atlantic storm
28
disrupted power to 100,000
homes across Ireland, and 11
caused structural damage 18
Pa c i f i c
to buildings. 10
6 19
7
26
>> Typhoon Neoguri (Apr 08)
33 35 Max winds 175 km/hr; earliest typhoon
to strike China on record.
>> Iraq (July 09) 32
>> Typhoon Hagupit (Sep 09)
>> Tropical Storm Fay (Aug 08) Worst sandstorm in living memory, 30
Max winds 220 km/hr; worst typhoon
1st storm on record to strike Florida 34
37
to hit China’s Guangdong province
4 times, max winds 100 km/hr.
in more than a decade.
>> Hurricane Bertha (Jul 08)
Max winds 205 km/hr. The longest-
lived July Atlantic tropical storm
on record (17 days).
31
>> Hurricane Omar (Oct 08) 8
>> Tropical Cyclone Sidr (Nov 07)
Max winds 205 km/hr. Max winds at landfall 240 km/hr. The worst
storm to hit Bangladesh since 1991. More
>> Hurricane Gustav (Aug 08) than 8.5 million people affected and over
25 3,000 fatalities.
Worst storm to hit Cuba in 5 decades.
Max winds 240 km/hr, with 341 km/hr
wind in Paso Real San Diego, the high >> Tropical Cyclone Nargis (May 08)
in Cuba’s history. Max winds 215 km/hr; most devastating
cyclone in Asia since 1991. 9
>> Hurricane Ike (Sep 08)
Max winds 230 km/hr, 3rd most >> Tropical Cyclone Ivan (Feb 08)
destructive US hurricane after Katrina. Max winds 215 km/hr; one of the strongest
29
cyclones ever in Madagascar.
39
17
40
20
I n di a n 38
Cold Front Rain/Flooding Warm Front
12 Alaska (07 – 08)
2nd highest winter
snowfall in 30 years.
17 South Africa
(May 08 – Jun 07)
Cold front led to 54 weather
21 Bolivia (Jan 08)
Heavy rain and flooding. 26 Northern Africa
(Sep 08 – Nov 08)
Flooding affected tens
31 Islands
Eastern Philippine
(May 09)
Typhoon Kujira triggered floods
36 Fenno-Scandinavia (08)
Warmest winter ever
recorded in most parts of
39 Southern Australia (09)
Exceptional heat wave,
triggering new temperature
13 Central Canada (08)
records in May. In June,
Johannesburg received its 22 Ecuador (Feb 08)
Heavy rain and worst
of thousands in Algeria
and Morocco; worst floods
and major landslides, affecting
over 246,000 people. Max winds
Norway, Sweden and Finland. records and deadly wildfires,
claims 210 lives.
Arctic air brought sub-
zero temperatures. Lowest
1st major snowfall since 1981. flooding in the country’s history. in a century for Algeria. were 213 km/hr.
37 India (Jun 09)
Intense heat wave
40 Southern Australia,
temperatures recorded 36°C,
with a wind chill of -50°C. 18  Uzbekistan (Jan 08)
Coldwave with lowest
temperatures in 40 years.
23 US (Jun 08)
Heavy rain and worst
floods since 1993 across the
27  United Kingdom (08)
One of 10 wettest
summers on record.
32  Vietnam (Oct 08)
Heavy rain and floods.
resulted in nearly 100
fatalities as temperatures
soared past 40°C.
Adelaide (Jan 09)
On January 28, temperatures
spiked to 45°C; the hottest
14  Canada (08)
Toronto’s 3rd snowiest
19 China (Jan 08)
Midwest in June.
28 Central Europe (Jun 09). 33 Dhaka, Bangladesh (Jul 09)
Received 11.4 inches of rain
38 Australia and
day in 70 years.
winter on record. Worst severe winter
weather in decades affecting 24 Brazil (Nov 08)
Heavy rain and flooding
Flooding: worst natural
disaster since 2002.
in the largest rainfall in a single
day since 1949, leaving 12 million
New Zealand (09)
Experienced their warmest
15 United Kingdom (08 – 09)
Coldest winter since
over 78 million people. affected 1.5 million people.
29  Southeastern
stranded. August since records began 60
and 155 years ago, respectively.
1996 – 1997.
20 New Zealand (08)
Major winter cyclone 25 Northeastern
Brazil (Apr 09)
Africa (Jan 08)
Flooding in Mozambique, 34 Philippines (Jan 09)
Torrential downpours
16  Middle East Region (Jan 08)
Heaviest snowfall in more
than a decade in Iran. First
caused flash floods and
widespread wind damage
across North Island in July.
The worst deluge in more
than 20 years in this normally
semi-arid region, with floods
Malawi and worst floods
ever recorded in Zimbabwe.
caused flash floods and
landslides, forcing 200,000
to evacuate.
snowfall in living memory
in Baghdad, Iraq.
and mudslides driving more
than 186,000 people from
their homes.
30 India (Jun 08)
Heaviest rainfall in 7
years in Mumbai, Maharashtra. 35 Taiwan (Aug 09)
Typhoon Morakot; worst
flooding in 50 years with 83
inches of rain in southern parts. International Fund for Animal Welfare 5
Impacts of Climate Change

Ef f ec t s of Cl im at e Ch a nge Impacts of Climate Change-Related

The long term impacts of climate change
include an increase in global average surface
warming, rise in sea level, and more acidic
oceans. By 2100, the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change has estimated
that global average surface warming will
increase by between 1.1 and 6.4° C and
sea level will rise between 18 and 59 cm.
The more immediate and obvious impacts
include increased frequency of temperature
Disasters on People
While we need to develop and execute technologies and Projected Impact of Climate Change Global Temperature Change in Celsius
(Relative to Pre-industrial)
solutions to mitigate the long-term impacts of climate change,
it is pressing to take action on the more immediate consequences
as well. A natural disaster occurs when a vulnerable and ill-
prepared population or community is exposed to a natural
hazard, an unexpected or uncontrollable natural event of unusual
intensity that threatens people’s lives, property, or activities. 20, 21
  Food Falling crop yields in many areas, particularly developing regions
Examples of natural hazards include weather-related hazards
such as floods, hurricanes, droughts, and tsunamis.
Possible rising yields in some high latitude regions Falling yields in many developed regions

extremes, heat waves, and heavy precipita-
tion events, as well as more intense tropical
cyclones with larger peak wind speeds and
Emergencies caused by climate change-related natural disasters
cause immense loss and suffering. For those who do not
immediately lose their lives, many will lose family members  
Small mountain glaciers disappear Significant decrease in water availability in many
Water water supplies threatened in several areas ares, including Mediterranean n and South Africa
Sea Level rise threatens major cities

more heavy precipitation associated with
ongoing increases of tropical sea surface
temperatures. 16
We are already feeling the ramifications
of climate change. In September 2009,
the United Nations Environment Programme
released a report that indicated that climate
change is accelerating at a much faster pace
than was previously projected by scientists.
New scientific evidence suggests impor-
tant tipping points, leading to irreversible
changes in major Earth systems and eco-
systems, may already have been reached
and possibly breadwinners, livestock on which their livelihoods
or even survival depends, experience catastrophic damage
to their homes, sources of income, and destruction to their   Ecosystems
Extensive damage
Rising number of species face extinction
to coral reefs
communities, and suffer the dangers and humiliations of
displacement and destitution. 22 Some 25 million people are
thought to be displaced from their homes at any time as a result   Extreme Weather Events
Rising intensity of storms, forest fires,
droughts, flooding and heat waves
of natural disasters including floods, earthquakes, hurricanes,
and avalanches. 23
  Risk of Abrupt and Major Irreversible Changes
Increased risk of dangerous feedback and abrupt,
large-scale shifts in the climate system
The current number of people affected and the damage
inflicted by extreme weather events including torrential
rain, bursting rivers, violent winds and insidious droughts
is historically unprecedented. Each year, almost 250 million
people are affected by natural disasters. This number is Source: Stern Review. IAASTD/Ketill Berger, UNEP/GRID-ARENDAL

or even overtaken. 17 Atmospheric and ocean
temperatures are higher than they have
been at any other time during at least
the past five centuries, and probably for
more than a millennium. 18 The average
temperature on Earth has already warmed
by close to 1°C since the beginning of the
industrial period in the late 18th Century. 19
The average temperature
on Earth has already
warmed by close to 1°C.
growing and is likely to expand greatly as climate-related
disasters become more common and extreme. By 2015,
the average number of people affected each year by natural
disasters could increase to 375 million. 24
Natural disasters result in great economic and non-economic
losses. Between 1991 and 2005, 3.47 billion people required
humanitarian assistance after disasters, 960,000 people died, and
economic losses were $ 1.193 trillion. 25 The cost of responding to
disasters has risen tenfold between 1992 and 2008. 26
Besides physical injury, death, displacement, and damage
to property, natural disasters also create health hazards.
Extreme weather events, especially heavy downpours, can
create conditions conducive to “clusters” of diseases carried
by mosquitoes, rodents, and water. In addition, the increased
number of refugees and internally displaced persons across
the globe leads to living conditions that raises the risk of
epidemics of communicable diseases. 27
© IFAW/M. Booth
While climate change-related disasters will affect all countries,
people in the poorest and smallest countries and poor people
in richer countries are likely to suffer the most. Experts predict
that developing countries will bear most of the costs of the
damages from climate-related hazards (75–80 percent). 28
The more impoverished, unequal and unprepared a population
is, the worse the disaster will be when a natural hazard occurs.
Poverty and inequality force people to live in high-risk places,
such as flood plains, steep hillsides, urban slums, and in poorly
built homes. This, in conjunction with inadequate preparedness
mechanisms and low capacities for risk reduction measures leads
to a cycle of vulnerability that becomes more difficult to escape
with every disaster. 29
IFAW Emergency Relief responders arrive in the Philippine villages
of Sucol and Masili to rescue animals in distress and provide relief
for those impacted by Typhoon Ketsana.

6 Unnatural Disasters International Fund for Animal Welfare 7

 Climate
Impact Change
of Climate Change on Animals Climate Change

© IFAW/A. Mookerjee
India experienced the worst flooding in over 50 years. An estimated two million people
were forced to evacuate. A huge area of farmland and livestock were severely affected.

Impacts of Climate Change on Animals
The impacts of climate change are placing additional pressures
on ecosystems already stressed by overuse, degradation, frag-
mentation and loss of total area. 30 Warming temperatures are
forcing wildlife to move to higher elevations, searching for
climates where they can survive. 31
As they are forced to immigrate to new areas, many animals
will find themselves in conflict or competition with people
and livestock that inhabit the urban and agricultural land-
scapes that surround current wildlife habitats. In many cases,
further complications will arise from the complexity of species
interactions and different sensitivities to changing conditions
between species. 32 Those animals that remain in the same
place may have to evolve to match their new environment,
through either a behavioral response (such as shift in the time
of breeding) or a genetic response (such as an increase in the
proportion of heat tolerant individuals). 33
Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), it is projected
that by 2050, climate change will cause the extinction of
a substantial number of the subset of 1000 endemic species
currently being analyzed globally. 35
Impacts of Climate Change-Related
Disasters on Animals
People are not the only victims of natural disasters. When
catastrophe strikes and chaos ensues, animals are often aban-
doned and left to fend for themselves. The result is usually
tragic-death and extreme suffering. Unlike people, animals
have nowhere to go to escape the impacts of natural disasters.
The impacts of climate change-related disasters such as hypo-
thermia, dehydration, starvation, physical injury, disease, and
drowning threaten the lives, and cause the suffering, of many
individual animals, and may also push endangered popula-
tions towards extinction.

Significantly more likely, however, is that irrevocable habitat

change will lead to species or population extinctions. According
to the IPCC, climate change is likely to be the main driver of Climate change
biodiversity loss in the future. As populations move north in
an attempt to adapt to warming climates, they tend not to be is likely to be the main
replaced. Other species and populations, such as those that drive of biodiversity
are already at high elevations or those on islands, have nowhere
to go. 34 According to a 2006 report published by UNEP and loss in the future
the Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of
© IFAW

8 Unnatural Disasters International Fund for Animal Welfare 9

 Wildfires Climate Change The International Fund for Animal Welfare
sent an Emergency Relief team to help
wild and domestic animals affected by
the devastating fires in Victoria, Australia.

Wildfires
© IFAW/M. Filinger

In the United States climate change-related wildfires are

a growing natural hazard in most regions of the country,
posing a threat to life and property, particularly where native
ecosystems meet developed areas. 36 Studies have found that
the recent surge of massive forest fires in the Western United
States have been linked to climate change and are likely to
continue to be a major concern. 37

Climate change is likely to bring drier conditions in many parts of the world.
This, along with more severe storms, will play a role in changing fire patterns.
In North America, fire severity is predicted to increase in the future due to higher
numbers of lightning strikes and the intensity and frequency of windstorms.
In addition, as ecosystems become more vulnerable to fire because of climate
change or land-use practice that encourage the spread of fire, human-induced
fire becomes increasingly likely to create natural disasters. 38

Case Study 1 Australian Wildfires of 2009

In February 2009, the worst bushfires in Australian history, which scientists

believed may have been linked to climate change, left 173 people dead and  39

more than 2000 properties and almost 430,000 hectares (just over 1 million
acres) of land destroyed. The disaster caused more than A $1 billion (US
$920,522,120) worth of damage. Insurance costs are expected to reach A$1.23
billion (US $ 1,132,242,207). The massive bushfires destroyed entire towns
 40

and killed a quarter of Victoria state’s koalas, kangaroos, and other wildlife.
Up to a million wild animals are thought to have perished as a result of the fires, along with an estimated 13,000 commercial
farm animals, including sheep, beef and dairy cattle, goats, poultry and pigs. Additionally, many companion animals lost their
lives. 41 While the full extent of the impacts of the Victorian bushfires on animals is not currently known, it is clear that these
large, intense fires have likely devastated the populations of some of Victoria’s most endangered animals and plants, raising
major concerns for their survival in the future. 42

Countless animals were also severely injured. Many were burned, mostly to the front and back feet but large numbers of animals
had more extensive burns covering more of the body. These animals were generally euthanized unless the burns were minor and
the animal could be rehabilitated quickly and released. There were also thousands of starving wild animals and orphaned young.
Other injuries included smoke inhalation, broken bones, eye damage, shock and dehydration. 43
© IFAW/C. Ord

10 Unnatural Disasters International Fund for Animal Welfare 11

Biological Disruptions
Biological Disruptions
In addition to the direct consequences of climate change-related disasters, animals lose their
lives and suffer from indirect impacts of these natural hazards. These biological disruptions
include aggravated disease, disrupted migratory patterns, and increased strandings.
Increased Incidence of
Disease and Climate Change
Studies indicate that some of the long-term impacts of climate
change could include increased incidence and severity of animal
disease as well as emerging or re-emerging diseases affecting
livestock, companion animals, and/or wildlife. 44 Wildlife health
is important to consider, not only because of concerns about
biodiversity protection, population sustainability and animal
welfare, but also for human public health and economic reasons.
Most human emerging infectious diseases originate from
a wildlife reservoir. 45 Approximately 80 percent of emerging
infectious diseases affecting humans are zoonotic (i.e. trans-
missible between a wild or domestic animal and humans), and
a rising number of these diseases are spread by either direct or
indirect (with livestock as an intermediary) contact with wild-
life. 46 Therefore, as livestock producers and wildlife shift their
distribution in response to changes to water and vegetation
caused by climate change, opportunities will arise for more
wildlife disease to infect both people and domestic animals. 47
In addition to the health threats that diseases pose to human
and animal populations, the pathogens that originate from or
move through wildlife populations have already caused signifi-
cant economic losses. For instance, several livestock diseases
that have re-emerged since the mid-1990s (including avian
influenza) have caused an estimated $100 billion in losses to
the global economy. 48
Climate change will likely influence the incidence and
geographic range of vector-borne diseases such as malaria,
encephalitis, yellow fever, dengue, and plague. As vectors,
or carriers, shift their range as a result of climate change,
the distribution of their transmitted diseases will shift as well.
The number of carriers may increase in some areas, but may also
decrease in others. For example, plague is spread by rodents and
their fleas. Climate change is expected to change the distribution
of rodent populations around the globe, therefore impacting
the range of this disease that still causes significant death rates
in wildlife, domestic animals, and humans. 49
Other impacts of climate change include increased severity of
disease and decreased host resistance, mainly due to increased
susceptibility to infection because of changes in host behavior. 50
12 Unnatural Disasters
© IFAW/D. Willetts
For example, as a result of increased drought and the resultant
decrease in water availability, higher concentrations of indi-
viduals may congregate around water resources, increasing
interactions between animals of both the same and different
species, and increasing the risk of infection contraction. 51
Climate change may also change the severity of animal dis-
eases. Changes in rainfall and humidity may alter the quality
and availability of breeding sites for disease carriers such as
ticks, mosquitoes, and flies. 52 In eastern Kenya and southern
Somalia, a severe outbreak of Rift Valley Fever, a mosquito
borne zoonotic disease, was linked to heavy rainfall in 1997-
1998. The outbreak killed more than 500 people and some
livestock owners lost up to 70 percent of their animals. 53
A recent study suggests that climate-related hazards such as
droughts or floods can create conditions in which diseases that
are tolerated individually may converge and cause mass deaths of
livestock or wildlife. Extreme climate conditions may alter nor-
mal host-pathogen relationships and cause a “perfect storm” of
multiple infectious outbreaks that could trigger epidemics that
would lead to catastrophic mortality. 54 As extreme weather events
become increasingly frequent, the consequent synchronization
of infections (or their carriers) may result in diseases becoming a
significant threat to populations that were historically immune.
© IFAW/M. Booth
Climate Change
A male lion looks over his shoulder
while resting on a patch of rocky soil
in the Kidepo National Park in Uganda.
Case Study 2  Canine Distemper Virus Epidemic
in 1994 and 2001 in Lions
Extreme weather conditions in Tanzania combined with exposure to
the normally non-fatal canine distemper virus (CDV) resulted in deadly
epidemics in Serengeti lions in 1994 and Ngorongoro Crater lions in 2001.
The 1994 epidemic left a third of the Serengeti lion population dead,
while the 2001 epidemic resulted in the deaths of nearly 40 percent of
the Ngorongoro lion population; a population which remains consistently
below carrying capacity and weakened by inbreeding depression.  55
In 1994, witnesses observed Serengeti lions that appeared to be in good condition suddenly experience horrible seizures
culminating in death. Tanzania National Park officials and scientists that responded to the outbreak were shocked and
confused to see a population that had been so well protected suffer and die off by the hundreds. In 2001, the die-off
did not occur in exactly the same way. Witnesses did not observe seizures in this much smaller population of approximately
60-70 lions. Instead, the lions were lethargic and exhausted, barely able to move. In a matter of weeks, 24 of the 61
Ngorongoro Crater lions were dead. 56
Both fatal outbreaks of CDV coincided with similar ecological circumstances – severe droughts followed by intense rains.
The suspected reason for these extreme mortality events was the combination of the highly prevalent CDV, the source of
which can be traced to domestic dogs, with an abnormally high level of Babesia, or tick borne disease, which was directly
related to climate extremes. Drought led to reduced food and water, resulting in many weakened, starving, and dying Cape
buffalo, one of the lions’ key prey species. The compromised buffalo developed high tick burdens, leading to large die-offs
that in turn gave the lions “easy meals” to feed on high numbers of tick-infested buffalo carcasses. While neither pathogen
in isolation would have had such tragic results, the combination of the Babesia and CDV, an immunosuppressant infection
that compromised the lions’ immune systems and prevented them from fighting the Babesia, killed the lions. 57
Dr. Craig Packer, a professor of biology at the University of Minnesota who not only was present during these epidemics
but has been studying East Africa’s lions since 1978, noted that the climate extremes of drought and flood have been much
more frequent and dramatic in recent years. According to Dr. Packer, “as extreme weather events become more frequent
and intense, it is likely that these kinds of outbreaks will become more common as opportunities for synchronization of
diseases and infections increase.” 58
International Fund for Animal Welfare 13
 Climate
Biological Change
Disruptions
Shift in Migratory Patterns
Because they require separate breeding, wintering, and migration
habitats of suitable locations, migratory species are expected to
be at greater risk due to climate change than others. 59 Migratory
species are already suffering, and are likely to do so even more
in the future, from changes in their critical habitats and shifts
in their migratory patterns.
One major concern is related to food availability. Climate
change is leading to food shortages and changes in feeding
patterns of migratory species. As waters are warming, prey
species are either not thriving or shifting their range towards
colder waters. In the Southern Ocean for example, penguins,
albatrosses, seals, and whales may be faced with significant
food shortages. As temperatures in bodies of water rise,
krill, an important source of food for these species, may
be out-competed by salps, a species that is more tolerant
of warmer waters. 60
There is also evidence that predators are following their prey
into waters outside of their normal migratory patterns. 61 The
result of this disruption in feeding patterns can be disastrous.
Warm ocean currents may have been the indirect cause of
2,500 Magellan penguins washing ashore – dead and alive –
on Brazil’s northern coast in 2008. Experts believe that these
penguins followed their prey, anchovies, into deeper colder
waters, taking the penguins more than 2,500 miles off course.
When the penguins couldn’t reach the anchovies, they ended
up stranded, starving and disoriented, on Brazilian beaches. 62
Climate change has also led to alterations in location, timing,
and length of migration routes of migratory birds. 63 In some
cases, birds are migrating earlier in the spring. A study of 63
years of data for 96 species of bird migrants in Canada showed
that 27 species have altered their arrival dates significantly,
with most arriving earlier, in conjunction with warming spring
temperatures. Birds also seem to be delaying autumn departure.
In a study of 13 North American passerines, 6 species were
found to delay their departure dates in conjunction with global
warming and, and there have even been some cases in which
birds have abandoned migration all together. 64
About 84 percent of migratory birds have the potential to be
affected by climate change from changes in water regimes, such
as lowered water tables, mismatch in food supplies, rise in sea
levels, changes in prey range and increased storm frequency.
Migratory birds are particularly vulnerable to more frequent
and intense natural hazards because they use multiple habitats
during migration as stopover sites for feeding, resting or to sit
14 Unnatural Disasters
out bad weather. 65 Because these birds are also highly dependent
on stable weather for their migratory journeys, changes in wind
patterns and increases in storm frequency may negatively impact
migratory patterns. For example, evidence indicates that a
higher spring storm frequency in the Caribbean can cause
problems for migrating passerine birds, and lead to reduced
numbers reaching the breeding grounds. 66
© IFAW
A close-up of a Brown pelican
perched among the dark rocks
on an island in the Galapagos.
Case Study 3 Brown Pelican Stranding Event in 2008
An example of a migratory bird whose migratory patterns have been
disturbed by climate change is the brown pelican. Its range extends along
the coast in California and from North Carolina to Texas, Mexico, the
West Indies and many Caribbean Islands, and to Guyana and Venezuela
in South America.  67
Once a common sight on the Pacific and Gulf coasts, the brown pelican was nearly wiped out before it was listed as ‘endangered’
under the Endangered Species Act in 1970. The Atlantic coast is the only part of the brown pelican’s range where it is not currently
listed as endangered. 68 The major threat to these birds was pesticide poisoning through ingestion of pesticide residues in fish.
Since DDT was banned in 1972, there has been a full recovery on the East Coast and other brown pelican populations are showing
steady improvement. 69 Although the species is recovering, it is important to maintain conservation efforts of the brown pelican,
especially with the increase of human population along the California coast with the related marine traffic and pollution. 70
There is also cause to believe that climate change may be an added threat to brown pelicans. The combination of the long-term
impact of delayed migration and the short-term impact of an extreme winter storm had tragic results for hundreds of California
brown pelicans in December 2008. During the week of December 10th, ice storms and subfreezing weather hit the Northwestern
United States and continued for several weeks with record low temperatures. 71 Unseasonably warm weather and abundant food
supply are believed to have caused an estimated 4,000 pelicans to delay migration and remain in Oregon and Washington until
December when they were caught in record-breaking freezing temperatures while en route to California. Once they began
migrating south, the mixture of cold weather, physical stress, and unstable food supply contributed to a mass stranding event
along the West Coast.
Experts estimated the number of stranded and dead brown pelicans to be between 300 and 400. The primary cause of this
stranding and mortality event appears to be weather and migration-related. When found alive, the birds appeared disoriented
and frail, often with blistered or bruised looking feet and pouches, suggestive of frostbite. Depression and abnormal behavior,
likely the result of exhaustion, hypothermia, and/or hypoglycemia, were also reported. 72
© IFAW/C. Somonte
A pelican that was cleaned by IFAW ER team
and released. The bird was affected by a major
oil spill near Veracruz Mexico that occurred
on December 22, 2004.
International Fund for Animal Welfare 15
 Climate
Biological Change
Disruptions
Strandings
There may also be links between climate change and strand-
ings, which occur when marine mammals or sea turtles swim
or float into shore and become “beached” or stuck in shallow
water. 73 Mass strandings occur when groups of distressed
marine mammals come ashore dead or alive. These strandings
can involve anywhere from a few to several hundred animals.
Once animals start coming ashore, it is extremely difficult
to stop the process from continuing and escalating. Affected
animals will follow one another ashore, as if crippled by wide-
spread panic, even when there is clear access to open water. 74
When a marine mammal comes ashore alive, physiological
16 Unnatural Disasters
© IFAW/M. Danbolt
Case Study 4 
changes occur, often leading to shock and death. Live-stranded
animals are usually in need of medical attention and cannot
return to their natural habitat without assistance. 75
There is no universally accepted explanation for strandings.
Possible causes of strandings include infectious disease,
starvation, exposure to pollution, trauma from ship strikes
or entanglement in fishing lines, harmful algal blooms
and associated biotoxins, ocean noise, and extreme weather
events. 76 If a bad weather system, such as a hurricane or
a severe winter storm, comes through, animals can become
disoriented and wash ashore.
Winter Storm Causes Mass
Stranding in Cape Cod in 2005
Extreme tides and high winds are often associated with mass strandings,
as they were in December 2005. On December 10, a nor’easter with
hurricane force winds forced higher than normal tides and caused massive
destruction to several towns bordering Cape Cod Bay in Massachusetts.  78
The storm surge pushed pilot whales and pelagic dolphins even further
into shore than is normally possible, causing them to strand. There is also
the possibility that the winds, high surf and likely increased turbidity may
have made echolocation more difficult in the near shore waters, possibly
causing the animals to become disoriented and strand. Marine mammals  79
use echolocation to obtain information about their surroundings and
to find food. They do this by producing sounds or sonar clicks that are
reflected back when they strike an object.  80
The storm left 45 pilot whales and dolphins stranded in the snow and ice on beaches and marshes from Barnstable to Wellfleet.
Although some animals were found alive, the freezing temperatures and wind burn caused hypothermia. Some suffered serious
injuries from being beaten against seawalls by the pounding surf. The storm also complicated rescue efforts, as it was unsafe
and even impossible for emergency relief teams to respond initially, as snow and downed trees blocked the roads. Unfortunately,
many animals died as a result of the hypothermia, injuries, and/or shock and stress from being stranded. The rest were humanely
euthanized to end their suffering. 81
The storm surge pushed pilot whales
and pelagic dolphins even further into
shore than is normally possible, causing
them to strand.
© IFAW/M. Booth
International Fund for Animal Welfare 17
 Oil Spills

Oil Spills
Another indirect impact of climate change-
related hazards is an increased risk of large oil
spills at sea, resulting in great injury to ecosys-
tems, affected communities and marine wildlife.
© IFAW/R. Sobol
Increased Use of Oil
People are using vast amounts of oil. From the petroleum
used to fuel our transportation, heat our homes, and lubri-
cate our machinery, to the asphalt we use to pave our roads,
to the myriad of oil-derived products such as plastics, medi-
cines, ink, paints, and fertilizers, oil is literally everywhere. 82
In an increasingly technological era, the world has become

© IFAW/V. Papastavrou
and will continue to become more dependent upon oil-based
products to help us maintain our high standard of living. 83
In 2007, the United States consumed about 7.5 billion
barrels of oil, an increase of almost 30 percent over the
last 20 years alone. 84 Currently, global consumption of oil
is 3 billion gallons a day. 85 This number is expected to grow
as global demand for oil increases. The Organization of the
Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has projected that
An emergency relief worker
by 2030 global demand for oil will increase by nearly 34 carries an oiled Brown pelican
percent above 2006 levels. 86 contaminated by an oil spill.

Possible Increased Risks of Oil Spills Short-term extreme weather

Every step of the transportation equation – from loading, events are more often the
shipping, unloading, piping and storage – presents a chance
for oil to escape. 87 During shipping, large unintentional oil
direct cause or one of the
spills can be caused by human error, breakdown of equipment, contributing factors of large
or extreme weather events. 88 Approximately 5.65 million tons of
oil were lost as a result of tanker incidents from 1970 to 2008. 89
oil spills at sea.

Oil spills occur all around the world. Large spills (at least
10,000 gallons) have occurred in the waters of 112 nations
since 1960. 90 In China, at least 90 percent of the nation’s crude
oil imports are transported by sea. In 2004, this figure was
nearly 110 million tons. Between 1973 and 2003, more than
2,350 oil spills occurred along the nation’s coast – one spill
every 4.6 days. 91
Climate Change and Oil Spills
The long-term impacts of climate change are linked to an
increased risk of oil spills. Studies have noted that climate
change could potentially cause a shift in the Gulf Stream
in the North Atlantic, making the Northwest Passage across
North America more easily navigable. This, in turn, could
lead to increased shipping traffic, possibly increasing the risks
of oil spills in a delicate Arctic ecosystem already threatened
by melting ice-caps. 92
Impacts of Oil Spills on People
Large oil spills can have catastrophic results for both the
environment and human populations near the spills. The
financial cost of cleaning up an oil spill depends on multiple
factors. Some estimate the cost of cleaning oil from offshore
waters to be approximately $7,350 per metric ton of oil spilled,
while shoreline cleanup can average 20 times that at $147,000
to $294,000 per metric ton. In the three years following
the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989, in which 11 million gallons
of crude oil were spilled into the Prince William Sound in
Alaska, $2.5 billion was spent on clean-up over a period of
three years. Despite these costly efforts, more than 12 years
after the spill, studies of the impact area showed that more
than half of the beaches analyzed still had considerable
amounts of oil pollution. 93

Short-term extreme weather events are more often the direct

Black waves polluted by an oil spill crest into
a white froth as they crash into the dark rocks
along the coast of La Caruna in Northwest Spain.
© IFAW/J. Hrusa
cause or one of the contributing factors of large oil spills at sea.
This, along with the fact that climate change will likely lead to
an increased frequency and intensity of climate change-related
storms, is likely to increase the risk of future large oil spills.

18 Unnatural Disasters International Fund for Animal Welfare 19

 Oil Spills

oil components. The effects

© IFAW/D Barritt
A person wearing a yellow jacket and red protective gloves
gently holds a penguin covered in oil. Several other penguins of indirect oil exposure
A close-up of an oiled penguin standing on the Eastern
stand in the background. The penguins were rescued from include headaches, nausea, shore of South Africa’s Robben Island. The penguin
an oil spill off Dassen Island.
vomiting, eye irritation, was contaminated by a spill off the island’s coast.
vertigo, worsened asthma
symptoms, and upper
respiratory tract irritation. 96

Impacts of Oil
Spills on Animals
Oil spills can be deadly for
marine wildlife. When an
oil spill occurs in water, it
spreads very rapidly, leaving
little possibility of escape.

Many animals are killed

directly after an oil spill.
Even a seemingly harmless
dime-size drop of oil could
kill a bird. 97 In the case of
Exxon Valdez, 300 harbor
seals, 900 bald eagles, 2,800
sea otters and 250,000 sea
birds were killed days after
the incident. 98 Three species
of cormorant, a type of sea-
bird, the common loon, the
harbor seal, the harlequin
duck, the pacific herring and
the pigeon guillemot still
have not fully recovered. 99

The primary immediate

effects of oil contamination on
animals include hypothermia;
dehydration resulting from
lack of food; stomach and
intestinal disorders and © IFAW/J. Hrusa
destruction of red blood

Large oil spills can threaten the livelihoods of those communi-
ties that rely on the ocean for food or income. In the case of
Exxon Valdez, over $300 million of economic harm was done
to more than 32,000 local people whose livelihoods depended
on commercial fishing. 94 Oil spills can also cripple coastal and
eco-tourism. Coastal areas provide a variety of recreational
activities that are compromised by oil spills, such as boating,
scuba diving, fishing, swimming, and whale watching. In the
year immediately following the Exxon Valdez disaster, tourism
revenue decreased by eight percent in South-Central Alaska
and 35 percent in Southwest Alaska. 95
Oil destroys the insulating ability of fur-bearing
In addition to the direct effects of oil spills mentioned mammals, such as sea otters, and the water-repelling
above, public health may also be affected by indirect exposure
to oil. Examples of indirect exposure include consumption
abilities of a bird’s feathers, thus exposing these
of contaminated fish or water, or inhalation of evaporated creatures to hypothermia or possibly freezing to death.

20 Unnatural Disasters International Fund for Animal Welfare 21

 Oil Spills
cells resulting from ingestion of oil; pneumonia resulting from
inhalation of oil vapors; skin and eye irritation from direct
contact with oil; and impaired reproduction. 100 In addition,
oil destroys the insulating ability of fur-bearing mammals,
such as sea otters, and the water-repelling abilities of a bird’s
feathers, thus exposing these creatures to hypothermia or
possibly freezing to death. 101
Even species that do not come directly in contact with oil can
be harmed by a spill. Predators that consume contaminated
prey can be exposed to oil through ingestion. 102 In addition,
oil can cause incalculable injury to wildlife habitats, making
them unsuitable for feeding, nesting, and other services they
provide to marine life. 103
Although marine wildlife may be seriously injured or killed
very soon after contact with the oil in a spill, non-lethal
toxic effects can be more subtle and often more long-term. 104
In cases where oil does not directly kill an animal, it may
compromise its survival. For example, animals with eye
An oiled seal found on a beach near Cape St. Mary’s
Ecological Reserve in Newfoundland. Every year
the illegal and deliberate dumping of oil from ships kills
300,000 seabirds off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
22 Unnatural Disasters
damage may be unable to effectively avoid predators. Others
may die prematurely due to organ damage. Reproductive
success may also be affected by these injuries or by direct
damage to reproductive organs or changes in behavior
caused by oil exposure. 105 Also, exposure to oil, either
directly or via food sources, can have lasting impacts on
individuals, populations, and ecosystems. Reduced numbers
of prey species due to oil exposure can have a chain reaction,
affecting all the species in the food web. 106
It is not clear how long it takes for environments to recover
from oil spills. In the case of Exxon Valdez, for example,
oil persisted in the environment years after the incident and
continues to cause harm to individual animals and some animal
populations. In 2006, the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee
Council listed 31 species and resources as still injured by the
spill. 107 In the case of the Torrey Canyon, an oil tanker that
ran aground off the Isles of Sicily in 1967, spilling 31 million
gallons, some scientists believed that the marine environment
took over 30 years to fully recover. 108
© IFAW/S. Cook
Case Study 5 The Prestige Oil Spill in 2002
Intense storms, old age and poor construction are believed to have caused
the Prestige oil spill off the coast of Spain on November 13, 2002, resulting
in what some call the largest environmental disaster in Spain’s history. After
days of bad weather, the Prestige oil tanker encountered strong winds,
which ripped a 60 foot hole in the tanker’s side. The vessel began taking in
water through the hole, causing it to break in two and sink into the Atlantic
Ocean. The 27 crew members were evacuated by helicopter and salvage tugs
 109
towed the stricken vessel away from the Spanish coastline. Strong winds  110
and rough seas hampered efforts to contain the resulting oil spill. After the
sinking, the wreck continued leaking oil. The tanker leaked approximately
125 tons of oil a day for two months, which polluted the sea bed and
contaminated the coastline, especially along the territory of Galicia.  111
It was later found that 64,000 tons of oil were spilled from the tanker
that was carrying 77,000 tons of oil.
Experts have estimated that some of the affected ecosystems and commercial resources will take over a decade to recover. 112 The
heavy coastal pollution forced the region’s government to suspend offshore fishing for six months. 113 This was devastating for an
area that is heavily reliant on the fishing industry and aquaculture. Damage to fishing and related economic sectors, tourism, and
the natural heritage along 3,000 km of coastline polluted by the spill were estimated to cost ¤5 billion (US $7,459,001,597), 114 with
society at large paying 97.5 percent of it. An estimated 30,000 people in the fishery and shellfish sectors were directly affected. 115
The affected area is a very important ecological region, supporting coral reefs and many species of sharks and birds. 116 Within
days after the spill, oiled wildlife, including rare and endangered seabirds, were being found on the beaches in large numbers,
and as search and collection efforts got underway, oiled birds began flooding small local rehabilitation centers. 117 A total of
12,000 birds were collected from the beaches. Of these 12,000 birds, only 2,300 were still alive. 118 International animal emergency
relief teams, local groups, and Spanish environment authority officials joined forces to rehabilitate hundreds of birds suffering
from dehydration, emaciation, anemia, and hypothermia. Emergency relief efforts were difficult because large numbers of birds
were oiled far offshore, long before there was an opportunity for rescue. In addition, stormy weather conditions and high sea
cliffs complicated search and collection efforts. Ultimately, approximately 300,000 sea birds (gannets, guillemots, razorbills,
puffins, loons, shags, cormorants, scoters, and Balearic shearwaters, a seabird listed as critically endangered by the World
Conservation Union) 119 are estimated to have been killed by the oil spill. 120
International Fund for Animal Welfare 23
 Oil Spills

A nim a l Emergency Rel ief Ef f or t s

As climate change-related disasters

hazards become more frequent and
intense, the need for humanitarian disaster
preventative action, preparedness, and Volunteer rescue
response is becoming increasingly urgent. workers box a group
It is important, however, to ensure that the of clean penguins.

companion animals, wildlife, and livestock

on which human populations depend, are
not forgotten. To minimize the suffering
and loss of life to these animals, and the
impacts of that loss on local communities,
stakeholders, NGOs, and governments
must work together to prevent, prepare for,
and respond in a timely manner to climate
change-related emergency situations.

• Natural Disaster Response – During and

immediately following a natural disaster,
experienced professionals are necessary
to assess the needs of the community and
impacted animals and respond to these
needs by taking steps to alleviate suffering

© IFAW/J. Hrusa
and prevent death. This response includes
search and rescue efforts as well as
providing shelter, food, and veterinary
care for the animals.
Several cleaned penguins are
• Marine Mammal Stranding Response – released on South Africa’s
Milnerton beach after being
Responding to a marine mammal strand- (rescued from an oil spill,
ing involves evaluating live-stranded nursed back to health).
animals to identify candidates for rescue,
relocation, rehabilitation and release as
well as planning and conducting reloca-
tion and release efforts. In addition, it is
important to undertake efforts to prevent
mass strandings whenever possible and
appropriate. 121

• Oiled Wildlife Response – If quick

and effective response is taken, oiled
wildlife can be rehabilitated and released
© IFAW/J. Hrusa

back into the wild. Responding to oiled

seabirds, however, requires very specific
types of housing, supportive care and,

© IFAW/J. Hrusa
most importantly, re-waterproofing.

24 Unnatural Disasters International Fund for Animal Welfare 25

 Oil Spills

Costs/Donations of the MV Treasure Oiled Wildlife Relief Efforts*

Case Study 6 The MV Treasure Oil Spill in 2000 Expenses Cost

* These figures are approximated

$24,000
and are only those associated
with the direct costs of the
  Supplies/Equipment International Fund for Animal
Welfare’s (IFAW) international
In June 2000, the MV Treasure bulk ore carrier sank off the coast of relief efforts. Other groups
responded in support and they

$42,000
may have additional figures not
Cape Town, South Africa, spilling over 1000 tons of heavy fuel oil into   Media covered by IFAW.

Table Bay and leaving over 20,000 endangered African Penguins oiled.
Emergency Relief teams were faced with great challenges. Not only
  Travel and Expenses
$132,000
did they rescue an unprecedented number of penguins and other birds,
they also evacuated 11,000 clean birds to prevent them from becoming
  In-Kind donations
$200,000
oiled. In addition, responders took over the rearing of many chicks
 122
 Wages paid to IFAW Staff, Consultants,
and Temporary/Contract Assistance
$350,000
that otherwise would have died.  123

Responders took on the daunting tasks of transporting the penguins to two large temporary rehabilitation facilities
and treating them so that they could be released into the wild once the oil was cleaned up.
  Total Cost of Effort
$748,000
Efforts to Prevent Future Oil Spills

© IFAW/J. Rodriguez
To successfully rehabilitate oiled birds, a rehabilitation center must meet strict requirements. These include power and
a reliable source of water; an admissions center with medical facilities for blood testing and general checks; secure areas IFAW has also played an active role in achieving preventative
to wash and rinse; drying areas equipped with hot air blow dryers; observation areas; swimming pools and feeding areas. measures to help ensure that similar catastrophes do not occur.
Immediately following the MV Treasure oil spill, IFAW initi-
In addition to setting up a well-equipped rehabilitation center, there are many logistics that need to be coordinated to rehabilitate
thousands of penguins. For example, feeding the penguins was a huge task because each bird had to be fed at least 4 fish a day
ated research and efforts that led to the proposal and adoption
along with vital vitamins. Initially they had to be hand-fed because they were unused to eating dead fish and had to be taught to of the decision to declare the South African coastline a Special
do this. Working with the logistics team were technical operations specialists including a team of qualified and experienced staff Area. 124 In 2006, the international shipping community
and specially trained volunteers that worked to hydrate the birds by tube feeding.
agreed to a designation of the Southern South Africa Sea area
A large team of vets worked tirelessly to oversee all aspects of veterinary care and minimize the risk of disease. First, the penguins
prohibiting or severely restricting the dumping of oily waste in
were stabilized for 48 hours before they were pre-treated with a highly refined vegetable oil to loosen the bulk of weathered bunker that area. 125 Implemented in 2008, the designation as a Special
oil on their feathers. Next, they were washed using a detergent effective in removing oil without harming the birds. The penguins Area status signifies reduced chronic or acute oil pollution
helped to complete the washing process by swimming in outdoor pools in the rehabilitation facility to rinse their feathers and help from passing vessels as ships are restricted or prohibited from
regain their waterproofing. After the washing, the birds were removed to large drying rooms equipped with hanging infrared heat
lamps. Every bird was given a medical check-up to ensure that each of them was healthy enough to be released into the wild.
releasing oil waste discharges. In addition, illegal discharges
of oil are deterred by highlighting the protected area status
Thanks to the rescue efforts of 12,000 people lasting 12 weeks, 18,294 of the 20,251 treated penguins were rehabilitated and on international navigation charts.
released to the wild, significantly helping to conserve this endangered species. Long-term monitoring of the birds, as part of
the evaluation process, has indicated that over 90 percent of the birds survived and went on to breed successfully in the wild.

IFAW has also played an active

Thanks to the rescue efforts of 12,000 people, role in achieving preventative
18,294 of the 20,251 treated penguins were measures to help ensure
rehabilitated and released to the wild. catastrophes do not occur.

26 Unnatural Disasters International Fund for Animal Welfare 27

Conclusions and Recommendations

Conclusions and
Recommendations
Natural disasters are dealing a heavy
blow to wildlife, and the other animals
upon which people rely for livelihoods
and companionship such as livestock
and pets. In 2009 alone, the number
of natural disasters globally exceeded
100. The impacts of oil spills
 126

and other events that can be caused

by climate change-related disasters
make the situation even more severe.

As the United States Congress tackles extensive climate change
legislation and world leaders meet at the United Nations Climate
Change Conference (COP 15) in Copenhagen to negotiate
a comprehensive international climate change agreement, it is
imperative that decision makers address both the direct impacts
of climate change that are transpiring today as vigorously as
they do the impacts that will take place over the long term.
Governments and international bodies must support effective
and efficient animal emergency preventative, preparedness,
and relief efforts in order to alleviate the direct, immediate,
and devastating effects of climate change that threaten wildlife,
livestock and companion animals. Consequently, IFAW offers
the following recommendations:
United States
•  IFAW urges Congress to include provisions in upcoming new
or recurring legislation that would authorize comprehensive
animal emergency preparedness, response, and relief efforts
prior to, during, and immediately following climate related
disasters. Appropriate legislative vehicles include cap and
trade, energy security, and other climate change legislation;
foreign assistance reform legislation; and annual homeland
security, foreign assistance, animal welfare, conservation,
and defense authorization legislation.
•  IFAW urges Congress to appropriate resources for animal
emergency preparedness, response, and relief efforts prior to,
during, and immediately following climate change-related
disasters in annual Departments of Homeland Security,
Interior, Commerce, State, Justice, Agriculture, and
Defense appropriations legislation.
•  IFAW urges the State Department to offer assistance to
foreign governments in the development of comprehensive
disaster preparedness plans that include strategies for
preventing the deaths and suffering of animals, as well
as in responding directly to the needs of animals during
and following climate change-related disasters.
IFAW Emergency Relief teams handed out
humanitarian aid and continued animal relief
efforts in the Philippines following Typhoon Ketsana.
United Nations and Other
Intergovernmental Organizations
•  IFAW urges the United Nations to achieve a Universal
Declaration on Animal Welfare that encourages people and
governments to consider animals in disaster preparedness and
response efforts surrounding climate change-related disasters.
•  IFAW urges the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (OCHA), the UN entity that oversees and facilitates
the disaster-relief efforts of the UN system, and other similar
entities to consider animals in coordinating disaster prepared-
ness and response efforts surrounding climate change-related
disasters. Examples include developing partnerships with
non-governmental organizations with expertise in animal
emergency relief to deliver assistance to animals in need
and ensuring that emergency response personnel are trained
to mitigate the impacts of climate-related disasters on animals.
© IFAW/M. Booth
Non-Governmental Organizations
and the Private Sector
•  IFAW urges non-governmental organizations and private
sector groups that provide humanitarian relief during and
following natural disasters to develop partnerships with
non-governmental organizations with expertise in animal
emergency relief to exchange information and skills and
collaborate on emergency relief efforts to minimize the
suffering and loss of life to animals and communities.
•  IFAW urges environmental organizations and financial
supporters that are currently focusing on addressing the
long-term impacts of climate change to also direct resources
towards mitigating the immediate impacts of climate change
and climate change-related disasters on wildlife, companion
animals, and livestock by supporting animal emergency
preparedness and relief efforts.

28 Unnatural Disasters International Fund for Animal Welfare 29

 © IFAW/C. Cullen
IFAW’s EMERGENCY RELIEF PROGRAM Climate Change
Emergency relief workers scan
floodwaters for signs of life
in Oakville, Iowa.

IFAW ’s Emergency Rel ief Progr a m

IFAW maintains a group of highly trained

professionals ready to help animals threat-
ened by disasters or victimized by cruelty.
Our Emergency Relief (ER) Team is trained
to operate in difficult circumstances, often
for weeks or months at a time. We are one
of the few international animal organizations
that can assist national authorities and local
rescuers around the world, train local ER
responders and wildlife rehabilitators, and
provide expert emergency rescue services.
Working with local communities, IFAW steps
in to alleviate suffering, save lives, and edu-
cate local officials to avoid and/or prepare
for future disasters. The members of IFAW’s
ER Team are experts in assisting seabirds
harmed by oil spills; pets, livestock, and
wildlife abandoned or injured by natural Our Emergency Relief
disasters; stranded marine mammals; and (ER) Team is trained
wildlife requiring rescue, rehabilitation,
and release back into the wild.
to operate in difficult
circumstances, often
for weeks or months
Disaster Relief at a time.
When disaster strikes, IFAW’s ER Team does what it can
to help ease suffering. IFAW has responded to hurricanes,
cyclones, floods, tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanic erup-
tions, and wildfires. In 2008, IFAW responded to six of the
Top Ten International Disasters including Hurricanes Ike
and Gustav in the United States, Sichuan Earthquake in
China, Cyclone Nargis in Burma, Floods in the Midwestern
United States, and the Floods of Bihar in India.

Marine Mammal Rescue

IFAW, which is headquartered in Cape Cod, Massachusetts,
has been working to rescue stranded whales and dolphins
in its backyard since the 1980s. In 2007, that commitment
was taken to another level when the Cape Cod Stranding
Network, Inc. (CCSN), recognized as a leader in this field,
formally merged with IFAW. The mission of the IFAW Marine Oiled Wildlife Response Wildlife Rescue
Mammal Rescue and Research program is to promote the Since 1989, IFAW has responded to more than 25 oil spills in Wild animals are continually being placed into crisis situations individual animals for release back to the wild; and place them
conservation of marine mammal species and their habitat 15 different countries. In the last decade, IFAW has emerged as as a result of human activities, such as habitat loss, wildlife in sanctuaries for long-term care only when release to the wild
by improving response and humane care for stranded marine the world leader in oiled wildlife response. The IFAW ER Team trade, unethical hunting practices, and commercial exploita- is not possible, and when quality of life can be assured.
mammals, advancing stranding science, and increasing public responds to oil spills involving wildlife, collaborates with NGOs tion. IFAW’s ER Team works to rescue such individuals
awareness through education. and governments, and works toward prevention and preparedness. and place them in appropriate places of safety; rehabilitate

30 Unnatural Disasters International Fund for Animal Welfare 31

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Jeffrey Short, PhD, and Marianne Veach.
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Ellycia Harrould-Kolieb,Jacqueline
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97 
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98 
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Veach.(2009). P. 4. Toxic Legacy: Long
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99  org/wiki/Prestige_oil_spill
Ellycia Harrould-Kolieb,Jacqueline
Savitz, Jeffrey Short, PhD, and Marianne
Veach.(2009). P. 11. Toxic Legacy: Long
Term Effects of Offshore Oil On Wildlife
and Public Health. Retrieved from
http://oceana.org/fileadmin/oceana/
Toxic_Legacy_FINAL.pdf
100  Prestige Oil Spill (n.d.). Retrieved October
United States Environmental Protection
Agency-Office of Emergency and Remedial
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epa.gov/oem/docs/oil/edu/oilspill_book/
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101  emergency_relief/oil_spills_rescuing_
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102  org/?uNewsID=9623
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103  122
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104  (IFAW) on behalf of The Southern African
United States Environmental Protection
Agency-Office of Emergency and Remedial
Response. (1999, December). P. 5-8.
Response, Retrieved from http://www.epa.
gov/oem/docs/oil/edu/oilspill_book/chap1.pdf
105  Conservation of Coastal Birds, International
Ellycia Harrould-Kolieb,Jacqueline
Savitz, Jeffrey Short, PhD, and Marianne
Veach.(2009). P. 14. Toxic Legacy: Long
Term Effects of Offshore Oil On Wildlife
and Public Health. Retrieved from
uploads/Climate_Change/Toxic_Legacy/
Toxic_Legacy_FINAL.pdf
106  125
Ellycia Harrould-Kolieb,Jacqueline
Savitz, Jeffrey Short, PhD, and Marianne
Veach.(2009). P. 14. Toxic Legacy: Long
Term Effects of Offshore Oil On Wildlife
and Public Health. Retrieved from
uploads/Climate_Change/Toxic_Legacy/
Toxic_Legacy_FINAL.pdf.
107 
Ellycia Harrould-Kolieb,Jacqueline
Savitz, Jeffrey Short, PhD, and Marianne
Veach.(2009). P. 14. Toxic Legacy: Long
Term Effects of Offshore Oil On Wildlife
and Public Health. Retrieved from
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uploads/Climate_Change/Toxic_Legacy/
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prestige.pdf
109 
Emily Birr. (2002, November, 27).
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110 
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112 
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113 
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114 
Using current exchange rate as of
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115 
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118 
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119 
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120 
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121 
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The International response effort both
to rehabilitate and release the oiled birds as
well as to hand-rear chicks was managed by
the International Fund for Animal Welfare
Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal
Birds (SANCCOB). The evacuation of the
clean birds was undertaken by Cape Nature
Conservation and other conservation groups.
123 
South African Foundation for the
Fund for Animal Welfare, and the
International Bird Rescue Research Center.
Spill: Saving Africa’s Oiled Penguins. South
Africa: Inyati Publishing; 2000. P. 21
124  
IFAW. (2006, March, 27). Global
Protection for South Africa’s Southern
Waters [Press Release].
  
IFAW. (2006, March, 27). Global
Protection for South Africa’s Southern
Waters [Press Release].
126 
Latest Natural Disasters: 2009. Reliefweb.
Retrieved from www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.
nsf/doc110?OpenForm
ISBN:  978-1-906920-01-2

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Acknowledgments
This report was written by Mayumi Sakoh from IFAW’s Washington, DC, office. The
author wishes to thank Jeff Flocken, Paul Todd, Ian Robinson, Cindy Milburn,
Shawna Moos, Chris Cutter, Valeria Ruoppolo, Tania Duratovic, Jan Hannah, Katie
Touhey, and Michael Booth from IFAW who assisted in the information gathering
Cover: © IFAW/M. Booth

and editing of this report. In addition, IFAW would like to thank Dr. Craig Packer,
Dr. Mike Ziccardi, Greg Boland, Kristy Greengrass, Lisa Weston, and Larry Roeder
for their valuable contributions.