On Friday, January 19, the Environmental Defense Group (GDA) Ipson Pavani of the Municipal Civil Guard (GCM) rescued a long-eared owl (Asio clamator) and a jararaca (Bothrops jararaca).
The owl was located in front of a school in the Morro do Espelho neighborhood, after the GDA was notified by school security via number 153. The bird had injuries on its left paw and right eye. It was taken to the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) for evaluation and will undergo a rehabilitation process with the aim of reintegrating it into nature.
The snake, approximately 80cm long, was found on the land of a company in the Fazenda São Borja neighborhood. It was spotted at night and a security guard monitored the bush where the snake hid until GDA agents arrived. The snake appeared healthy and was taken to Ibama, in Porto Alegre, to receive appropriate treatment before being reintegrated into its natural habitat.
Training
Recently, GDA agents participated in training for the rescue and management of wild animals at the Canoas Municipal Zoo. The training took place in May 2022 and was attended by five agents from the group. Biologist Gabriela Souza and veterinarian Isadora Favreto, both from the zoo’s Wild Animal Screening Center (Cetas), coordinated the activity.
Reinstatement
In September 2021, the GDA helped a team from the Canoas Municipal Zoo to release an owl of the same species that had been rescued in the city. After the rehabilitation process, the owl was released at the Rio Velho Ecological Base, in the Vicentina neighborhood.
Accidents with venomous animals
According to the Ministry of Health, the Bothrops jararaca species is responsible for the majority of snake accidents in the country, representing 69.3% of bites recorded in Brazil. The main symptoms of an adult pit viper bite in humans are pain and local swelling, sometimes with purple spots and bleeding from the wound. Bleeding may also occur in mucous membranes, such as gums. Complications can cause infection and necrosis in the bite area and kidney failure.
The recommendation is not to injure or kill the animal. According to article 29 of law 9605/98, killing, persecuting, capturing, using specimens of wild fauna, native or on the migratory route, without due permission, license or authorization from the competent authority, or in disagreement with that obtained, results in detention from six months to one year and a fine. In case of contact with any species, the GCM can be contacted by calling 153.
The Municipal Health Department (Semsad) advises that, in cases of bites from venomous animals, the person should be taken immediately to the Centenário Hospital.
What to do in case of an accident with venomous animals
- Seek medical attention immediately.
- Tell the health professional as many of the animal’s characteristics as possible, such as: type of animal, color, size, among others.
- If possible, and if such action does not delay the patient’s visit to medical care, wash the bite site with soap and water, keep the victim at rest and with the affected limb elevated until arrival at the emergency room.
- In accidents involving the extremities of the body, such as arms, hands, legs and feet, remove accessories that could worsen the clinical condition, such as rings, tied ribbons and tight shoes.
- Do not tie a tourniquet to the injured limb and, much less, cut and/or apply any type of substance (coffee powder, alcohol, among others) to the bite site.
- Do not try to “suck out the poison”, this action only increases the chances of local infection.
Jararaca (Bothrops jararaca)
According to information on the Butantã Institute website (butantan.gov.br), the jararaca (Bothrops jararaca) is one of the most common snakes in southeastern Brazil, but there are several species of jararacas (genus Bothrops) spread throughout the country. It can be found from Bahia to Rio Grande do Sul, associated with the Atlantic Forest, and eventually in some regions of Paraguay and Argentina that border Brazil. Females of the species are larger than males: they reach around 1.5 meters in length, while males can reach up to 1 meter. Reproduction is viviparous, that is, it houses the eggs inside.
A typical characteristic of this snake is its polychromatism: this means that its color pattern varies from snake to snake, with dark or light brown, green, grayish or yellow tones. Furthermore, it has horseshoe-shaped designs on the side of its body in different colors, generally darker than the rest of its limbs.
It hunts mainly at night, when it lies in wait for its prey, with its body curled up and its head prepared to pounce. Its habits are generally terrestrial, but it can also be found in higher places, up to 1 meter above the ground.
The jararaca’s preferred foods are small mammals, but when young it usually eats lizards and centipedes. For this reason, its venom changes according to age: that of juveniles has a blood anticoagulant action, but in adulthood the inflammatory action is more intense.
Long-eared owl (Asio clamator)
It is a relatively common species in Brazil, living in open and semi-open habitats, such as natural fields with sparse trees, cerrado, forest edges, rural areas and urban parks. Despite its wide distribution, it is a discreet owl, easily subsampled in the field. It is mainly nocturnal, becoming active at sunset, and likes to hunt rodents and other small mammals. Also known as the long-eared owl and cat owl.
Less frequently, it also hunts bats, lizards, birds and insects. Hunts from a perch, observing prey and then jumping. It usually perches on fence posts or posts to watch for its prey. It takes advantage of lunar luminosity to increase the chances of capturing nocturnal prey, such as rodents and marsupials.