User:Seal Boxer/animal transportation

Animal Transportation is the means by which animals are transported from place to place. The method of transporting an animal can vary from species to species.

Case study 1: transporting seals
Transporting a seal can be difficult and dangerous. Two Ontario-born seals recently died in transportation to the US. Sometimes a Box of Seals is used. Sometimes seals are transported to care facilities. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration assisted in transporting the seal. In the event of an oil spill seals will need transport to a specialist facility. It is important that transportation only be carried out by a veterinarian or someone with adequate experience, who will need to administer fluids, carry out assessments and deal with hypothermia.

Seals should never be transported in water, it is not necessary and can risk the seal drowning. Seal pups have a strong sucking reflex and should not be left with towels during transportation – they can swallow the towels.

Box of Seals is a box or container containing two or more seals, have encountered them on coast of America and in Scotland. Expensive to send in post. Must contain air holes or seals will be dead upon opening. Seals must also be supplied with food for the journey. Not an advisable but sometimes a necessary way to transport seals.



Not to be mistaken for Box and Seal

There have been terrible deaths of seals in transport. Sometimes seals are transported to care facilities. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration assisted in transporting the seal. A seal should never be transported in a box filled with water – it is not necessary, and is a danger to the seal – they could drown.

Transporting seals is considered to be easier than transporting cetaceans, mainly as seals are semiaquatic and able to tolerate long periods out of water, as long as they are kept cool and moist. Seals should fast for 24 hours before being transported, and should not eat whilst they are on the move.

Some conservation authorities recommend the use of a cage (or box), herding boards, hoop nets, and blankets for restraint. Blankets should not be left alone with the seal, nor should towels – see above for the mistake of leaving a seal with a towel.

Types of seal box
An article in the Journal of Zoo Animal Medicine describes the use of an aluminium box for pinniped transportation. The box they describe is a light weight aluminium box, which can be easily moved by one person when empty. The dimensions vary depending on the size and species of seal being transported.

Seal and sea lion transportation as a deterrent
Attempts to deter seals and sea lions from hounding fishermen by moving them to another location tend to be unsuccessful, as they will frequently and rapidly return to their previous location.

Case study 2: transporting a tapir
Transporting a tapir must be conducted in a manner that adheres to laws and does not cause distress or harm to the tapir. The United States Department of Agriculture classifies tapirs as pachyderms although they are actually odd-toed ungulates and are most closely related to the horse and rhinoceros.

It is recommended that if a tapir is to be transported in a shipping crate, the crate should be placed in a transfer alley and ideally, the tapir should have access to both the alley and the crate for several weeks before the day of shipment. The crate should be constructed of solid wood an inch thick, or metal parts. The interior should be completely smooth and free of hazards that could injure the tapir. Crates should have ventilation holes with a maximum diameter of 2 inches. Food and water containers should also be provided with outside access, and both ends of the crate should have sliding movable doors. The temperature of the crate must be regulated at between 7 – 29 degrees centigrade.

Tapirs are very large animals – the Malayan tapir can grow up to 8 feet long. Care must be taken to provide enough space for the tapir to be comfortable. The crate should also contain food and bedding – it is recommended that commercial chow is used as fresh food may be ground into the floor of the crate by the tapir. Rubber matting should be provided on the floor of the crate – if this is not available then thick grass or hay may be spread across the floor.

Tapirs should not be immobilised for shipment but should be crate trained prior to transportation. Tapir calves should not be transported before they are at least six months old – and as they stay with their mothers up to a year in the wild, it is recommended that they are not transported at all until they are a year old, as they must be separated from other tapirs in order to be transported.

Case study 3: transporting a goat
Transporting a goat is often necessary and can be a difficult thing to get right. It is important to do this correctly to avoid injury and death. The vehicle used must be solid, easy to clean, and fitted with raised ridges to prevent the goats from injuring themselves.

Goats must not be dragged around by their horns or by a rope attached round their necks. Their legs must not be tied, and they must not be placed in the boot of your car or in a poorly ventilated vehicle. They also must not be transported with other animals.

If you do not have a truck, a dog crate or kennel can be used. Two mini-nubian kids at 2 months old will fit in a medium sized crate – a Crate of Goats On starting the trip, the goats will sometimes weep. Singing to the goats whilst transporting them is recommended.