Some lifeless specimens on the coast have alarmed some neighbors. EL CHUBUT understands that one of the marine mammals died in agony in front of the Rayentray, while the other died near the abandoned vessel near the port.
Víctor Fratto, a member of the recently created Refaunar program, spoke to EL CHUBUT about the presence of dead sea lions on the coast of the southern region and the cases in the province.
“It was a one-haired sea lion and the people at Senasa sampled it and said it was removed from the beach because there were dogs on the shore. This sea lion should have died, there were enough of them when it died here Fenced so people don’t get close, but given the number of dogs on the beach, leaving it here means risk,” Fratto reported.
The instructions given by Senasa are that due to positive cases in the province, any animals that appear to have died should be considered positive as a precautionary measure so that all indicated precautions are taken to prevent bird flu infection.
“It was a juvenile sea lion that came out this morning and the first thing to do was to fence but it’s for people, not dogs, so there’s no option but to move it. The transfer will be in an open vehicle as per protocol in order not to breathe the same air as the animals and to take the necessary safety measures,” he said.
While the province does not have a specific number of cases, “this is not the number seen in Buenos Aires or the Rionegro coast, but sporadic cases, with a few wolves in Cerro Avanzado, some in Puntalo horses, and those in Piramides,” the conservationists noted.
“People can expect some external symptoms, but without analysis, you can’t identify the disease, which was determined by Senasa,” he said, also mentioning that there were dogs on the beach.
“The fact that dogs are not allowed near is a matter of contagion, this flu starts in birds, at some point it jumps to mammals, but dogs can catch it and carry the virus home,” Flatow explained. “
“The advice that wasn’t followed was that you shouldn’t take your dog to the beach because the dog’s instinct is to approach the wolf and it’s even been seen with a dead whale and the dog approached it, licked it, smelled it.”
Additionally, Fratto noted that for some species, it’s a deadly disease, “There are wild birds that are carriers of the virus and don’t end up dying, but in the case of sea lions, we’re seeing them dying. “
However, he pointed out that it should be taken into account that “dead penguins start to appear at this time of year, and as it does this time of year, we cannot assume that they are all infected with bird flu, but as a precaution we will treat them as a Handle these animals with a positive attitude.
What needs to be remembered is that in the presence of dead specimens, it is recommended not to approach them, do not touch them, keep pets away, and notify 103 immediately. In the presence of penguins, it is not recommended to place them in the water if they are still alive.