As flood waters recede in many areas throughout T&T, there is the high possibility that animals such as snakes and caimans can find themselves into your homes.
Do not be alarmed and try not to injure or kill them, instead, you can call upon officials from the Wildlife and Environmental Protection of T&T (WEPTT) to assist in removing them.
In the past two days, the group has rescued three snakes, two caimans, one hawk and several birds from the Valsayn, St Augustine, St Helena, Lange Park, California and Marabella areas.
Speaking with the T&T Guardian yesterday, one of the directors, Kristopher Rattansingh said their intention is “just to help the animals get back out if they become stuck or too disoriented to leave the area where they drifted off too.”
“One caiman was inside a flooded house and it was just panicked by all the people. Of course, we can't ask the people to leave their home so we just had to remove it from the house,” Rattansingh said.
“We are trying our best not to disturb the animals any more than they have been and only intervene if absolutely necessary," he said.
Rattansingh asked for members of the public to be understanding towards the animals as they mean no harm.
“They certainly do not intend on staying. Like many of us, their intention is to survive. They do not want to be there as much as we do not want them to be. They will leave on their own,” he said.
What to do
1) Leave it alone – Do not approach the animal because a cornered animal will defend itself. Take a picture if possible so we can identify the animal accurately.
2) Call WEPTT at 341-9983 so we can properly identify the animal and advise you what you can do or if expert assistance is required.
3) Do not try to move the animal or get close to it without first identifying the animal with an expert and finding out if it's possible and safe to do. They also guide and assist you in contacting officers of the Wildlife Section.
4) Most importantly, do not kill the animal. It does not want to be in your home as much as you do not want it to be there. Not only is killing the animal unnecessary, chances are, it is against the law since the animals are prudent to a sustainable bio-diverse environment that is already disturbed by the floods.