Last year, the department received as many as 25,000 distress calls, more than half of them cases involving animals – both wild and domestic. “We get calls about buffaloes and cows falling into wells. In most cases, the animal would be dead. But there are times when it can prove risky, as the injured animal is likely to be aggressive,” said Shahul Hameed, Joint Director, Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services.

Considering the numerous calls about snakes, the personnel used to be given training at the Guindy Snake Park on how to handle these. “However, it has been years since the training stopped,” the officer added. The lack of training is evident even in the case of rescuing cattle from wells and pits. In such cases, the firemen enter the well using ropes or ladder, tie a rope around the animal, and pull it out. “We don’t have special equipment for animal rescue,” said Hameed. 

According to animal rights activists, there is a need to understand the anatomy of the animal before attempting a rescue. “Hauling the animal from a depth in this manner can cause injuries. There are even instances where trapped cows are pulled to safety by hauling it by its tail. These are unacceptable,” said Dawn Williams of the Blue Cross of India. 

There are even cases where the animal in distress is in extreme pain, making it aggressive even towards the rescuers, pointed out Williams, adding that such situations should be handled with utmost care. But fire service personnel have neither the expertise nor situational awareness to deal with it. “The firemen have only been gaining experience from practise, which may not be enough to rescue animals,” admitted Shahul Hameed. 

The danger is even more serious in the case of snakes, as even a small mistake may lead to loss of life. But the training was discontinued about three years ago. “It is an important aspect to be taken into consideration. We will therefore consider initiating it again for the new batch of 1,500 fire personnel,” he said.