There was a strange sight following Hurricane Dean’s brush past Cayman recently when a lone cow stood tied a post on a George Town traffic roundabout following the storm.
The large animal, on the roundabout at the intersection of Elgin Avenue, Huldah Avenue and Thomas Russell Way, caught the attention of many by-passers eager to snap a picture of it.
But it was not an advisable situation for a cow to be in during a storm, according to the Department of Agriculture’s Animal Welfare Officer Maggie Baldino.
When questioned on the issue by the Caymanian Compass this week, Ms Baldino reminded those with livestock (cattle, goats and horses) never to tie them up before an impending storm. Rather, people should consider moving their animals to open areas and not keep them tethered.
‘For large animals the best thing is not to tether them, but put them in a field, an area that they can run, especially horses and cattle. If there is flying debris the animal can run from it.’
If animals are tethered they are suspect to being struck by flying debris because they cannot get away from it; they are subject to strangling themselves; heavy debris can trap the rope and the animals then can be more limited in movement or choked.
‘We have to let their instincts prevail and give them the best chance to try to protect themselves,’ Ms Baldino said.
They also should not be placed in an area that could flood. For instance the area of George Town in which the cow on the roundabout was placed is prone to flooding, Ms Baldino said.
In general, it has been a long term practice for people to tether animals such as cattle and horses year-round in lieu of fencing, which can be expensive to put up.
‘A lot of animals are very well taken care of when they are tethered,’ said Ms Baldino, but she added that it is not advisable during a storm.
High land
A lot of lessons were learned from Hurricane Ivan, Ms Baldino said, and people generally know the areas that flood, and the damage that can be done. ‘We survived Ivan and we were very fortunate during Ivan. We still have, as yet, to have a direct hit, which is another consideration.’
Hurricane Ivan damaged 90 per cent of buildings in Grand Cayman in September 2004.
Ms Baldino recommends that if someone is at a loss for a safe place of higher ground to place their large animal(s) during a storm that they seek out the help of people that do own large parcels of land or an area that is not prone to flooding in which to keep their animal for the short time of the impending storm.
‘Cayman is a small island and people know each other. It’s at these times when we have to ask each other for help and people shouldn’t say no.
‘For people that may be new to the island since Hurricane Ivan then they need to ask the locals that have been here to know what areas flood and what areas don’t.’
For Ivan, Ms Baldino was not in her current post, but was with the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service and her beat was Bodden Town, North Side and East End. ‘The farmers in this area know where to put their animals; there is a lot of high land in the North Side/East End area, which is safe.’
While she was not aware of many instances of animals being killed in West Bay and George Town she did know that a number of goats were flooded and killed in Ivan and a horse was killed when it took shelter behind a container and was crushed by it in an area that flooded.
‘It’s no reflection on the horse’s owners; they take care of their animals very well. The unfortunate thing is the horse sought shelter behind the container and containers are, as we learned from Ivan, not a solid object. Containers float, get blown over, get tossed around like toothpicks. So do not consider putting your animal near a container a safe place.’
The majority of the farmers do take very good care of their livestock, but there are some horse owners and a lot of people that are acquiring horses that still may not know what to do with them during the storm, Ms Baldino said. ‘They need to get that local knowledge.’
Some basic guidelines include the animal needing to have freedom of movement, without being able to enter other public or private property. They also need to have ready access to water.
Safety for dogs
The same holds true with dogs, she said.
‘Don’t tether the dogs. If people need to, go to friends’ houses or shelters to ensure your domestic pets will be taken care of. Do not put dogs in crates inside houses unless you know your house is not going to flood. They need at least to have their instincts to save themselves.’
While there are many people that may not have room to take on people, they might have room to take on people’s pets, so those in need should make the necessary enquiries.
‘Do not wait to the last minute to decide what you’re going to do with your animals. Those plans should be advanced now,’ she said.
If moving large animals to another pasture for an impending storm, Ms Baldino also warns against doing so at the last minute.
‘Move them to the area ahead of time so they can learn the terrain, learn the boundaries, so that if they do need to run they know the areas they can run to.’
If someone is moving a horse to an area with barbed wire and the horse is not familiar with this type of fencing then it should be marked at certain intervals with bits of rag or fluorescent tape so the horse can see it and recognise it as a boundary and know to avoid it.
Other basic guidelines the Department of Agriculture advises include making sure you have enough water, feed and supplies for the animals’ care during and after the storm.
Also, check fences in advance to make sure they are secure.
Keep chickens in a safe cage, box or pen above flood level, and keep baby chicks indoors in a warm, dry place.
While adult pigs are best kept in their pens, piglets should be confined to a dry, secure area.
Other guidelines include filling up feed and watering troughs with water to prevent them blowing away and to provide water after the storm; have on hand halters, leads ropes, tarps, fly spray, animal medical supplies and make sure you are up to date with the animal’s vaccinations, worming and tick control.
FYI
For more information contact the DoA at 947-3090.
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