This Hyd-based group saved dogs, cows, & even a crocodile in flood-hit TS districts

Hyderabad: City-based Animal Warriors Conservation Society has saved nearly 150 animals from various flood-affected districts in Telangana over the last few days.

Nine volunteers – Pradeep Parakuth, J. Santoshi, V. Sanjeev Varma, Prabhu Teja, Manish Goud, Raghav, Chetan, Ramakrishna, and Manish Vakada – have taken it upon themselves to rescue animals in Telangana.

Amongst the many animals the team rescued, they say rescuing a juvenile crocodile was both exciting and challenging. "The crocodile came through the floodwaters and got stranded near the fields in a village close to Bhadrachalam," says Praveen Parakuth, one of the volunteers.

"Crocodiles are generally resistive to humans, so it was a bit difficult. But we had an advantage since it wasn't a big one. We handed the crocodile over to the forest department," he adds. The crocodile did not harm anyone.

The volunteers have rescued dogs, cats, hens, and pigs. "Many animals went up to the terraces and were waiting for someone to come to their aid. A lot of villages are still inundated in water," Praveen says. The team also saved a buffalo and two cows.

The volunteers visited various villages, including Nellipaka village and Bhurgampahad in Khammam district and several surrounding villages near Bhadrachalam.

"In many houses where the water levels are slowly receding, snakes had crawled into those houses. We rescued five snakes in one village," says another volunteer, Manish Goud.

Praveen and his team saw at least 200 dead animals, mostly cows, hens, piglets, and buffalos. "It was extremely sad to see so many dead animals. The damage the floods caused to animals was much more than we expected. When we came to Kothagudem and began relief works on 15 July, we were scheduled to be here only for two-three days. But we are inundated with requests and reports of animals stuck in the floods even now," Manish says.

The team also went to villages on the Andhra Pradesh-Telangana border.

In addition to rescuing animals, the volunteers are ensuring that the animals receive all the necessary medical care.