IFAW responds to deadly flooding in southern Brazil

29 May 2024

Since the flooding began, the Pantanal Technical Animal Rescue Group (GRETAP) has rescued and cared for over 5,000 animals, both domestic and wild, and their work continues.  

The response team, coordinated by GRETAP and including members of the IFAW-supported Tamanduás Institute, consists of biologists, veterinarians, teachers, and technicians trained in animal rescue. 

Another 20 tonnes of animal food, drinking water, and blankets have been donated by generous individuals and organisations, and collected at Dom Bosco Catholic University (UCDB), Maranathah Pet Shop, Dog in Box, AuQmia veterinary clinic, and several other locations. The community’s support has been overwhelming and essential for the mission. 

The rescuers face immense challenges. Reaching the affected areas is often difficult due to flooded roads and inaccessible locations. Health and safety issues loom large—not just for the animals and families we are rescuing, but also for the team. The conditions are harsh, with cold, rain, and improvised shelters adding to the team’s physical and psychological strain. 

Reuniting rescued animals with their families presents another challenge. Many families refuse to evacuate, even with rising water levels, due to fears of looting and emotional attachment to their homes.  

GRETAP is coordinating with the Vice Governor’s office, together with the Environment & Health Secretariat, to ensure that basic food baskets and animal support reach the areas most in need. 

Every rescued animal and every reunited family reminds us why we respond and provide support during disasters. Despite the hardships, communities and responders push forward, knowing that together we can make a profound difference in the lives of these animals and their human companions.  

Search and rescue ongoing in Brazil

20 May 2024

More than 75 centimetres (30 inches) of rain fell on parts of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, in just two and a half weeks since the end of April. That’s just shy of what a city like Chicago or Dallas typically records in an entire year.

The rain and flooding have led to more than 150 deaths, and 600,000 people remain displaced, with their entire cities underwater. 

After a 19-hour drive, the IFAW-supported team from the Tamanduás Institute joined federal response efforts on Thursday, 16 May. At the request of the federal government, the GRETAP response team mobilised 44 trained responders, including the three members of the Tamanduás Institute. Together, they have helped over 1,700 animals through donated veterinary supplies and the establishment of two temporary shelter locations. They set up tents in dry areas for the animals in the shelters and began helping with vaccinations over the weekend. A second team of responders is providing basic nutritional support via feeding stations on the roofs of houses for cats that do not require full veterinary care.  

Rio Grande do Sul was hit with so much rain that authorities are saying it could be weeks until the floodwaters recede, especially as severe weather continues. 

This intense rainfall concentrated in a short period of time points to the new normal of the climate crisis. Southern Brazil sits at the confluence of tropical and polar currents, which, exacerbated by the changing climate, has brought periods of intense drought coupled with periods of severe rainfall. 

IFAW responds to deadly flooding in southern Brazil

10 May 2024

Devastating flooding in Brazil’s southernmost state, Rio Grande do Sul, since 29 April, has left over 120 people dead and forced more than 100,000 people to evacuate. The flooding has destroyed roads and bridges and triggered landslides. It has also devastated wildlife and separated people from their animals. 

IFAW’s longtime partner the Tamanduás Institute is sending three of their members to assist with animal search and rescue efforts in Rio Grande do Sul, which is a 16-hour drive from their location in Mato Grosso Do Sul State.

Through our support to Tamanduás Institute we are also providing an emergency grant to the Pantanal Technical Animal Rescue Group (GRETAP). The grant will help mobilize their animal search and rescue in the area and veterinary first responders on the ground. 

We continue to be in touch with partners on the ground and are on standby to provide any further assistance as needed.