Restraining of Wild Animals

Restraining of Wild Animals means the control of wild animal which may be in trapped or freely moving status by using various restraints.

Restraint

Restraint means the control of wild animal which may be in trapped or freely moving status.

It is to be significant to note that any the proposed physical restraint of the wild animal should not cost risk to either handler or the wild animal.

Types and Purpose of Restraint

Types

• Physical Restraint
• Chemical Restraint

Purposes

The wild animals need to be restrained for various purposes and one has to understand the multiple reasons for the effective restraining of wild animals in a systematic manner.

Gadgets Used for the Proper Physical Restraint

There are many types of physical restraint related gadgets for application in case of wild animals like drop nets, net gun, squeeze cages , trap cages etc.

Straw, Blankets and Baffle Boards

The bales of straw materials are more easy to use due to it’s availability and cost. However, it can be used mainly in case of deer related restraint strategies especially to restraint the deer inside the fenced area

Blanket materials are particularly useful in controlling the semi-conscious cervids and more useful during the control of primates falling from top.

These are the large pieces of plywood with handles fixed in one side, so as to have a better grip of the board whenever the captive wild animal is approached for various purposes.

The net guns are always used for the physical restraint with capture of free ranging aviary species. However, the cost factor of this has to be taken care of.

Krall is used mainly to restrain the elephants in free ranging regions. Bamboos are mainly used for the construction of this restraint gadget.

Gloves, Gunny Bags and Baskets

Gloves with various thickness measurements are used for an efficient control of wild animals especially the small sized mammals and the multiple aviary species.

However, when restraining the different sized birds by using gloves, one has to take more care in avoiding exertion of maximum pressure in the name of control of the birds. This may cause problem like suffocation in the concerned tiny sized aviary species.

Longer gloves may be used to give more protection to the arm and wrist. However, one has to be cautious that if the gloves used are more thicker, then this may interfere with the touch-reflex.

Gunny bags are useful to control the non-human primates of smaller size like bonnet macaques and the loris. The ropes need to be ready always whenever the attempts are made to control the non-human primates or any other smaller sized animal.

The baskets are of more useful to control the chelonians and the wire baskets are better ones to have restraining activities for selected aviary species.

Squeeze Cages and Chain link Fences

The squeeze cages need to be adequate size for the concerned wild animal under target. The squeeze cages are in-built ones in case of felid enclosures. These cages are mainly used for an efficient control of captive felids like lion, tiger, panther, bears, hyena, jackals, wild dogs, fox etc.

Hydraulic squeeze cages are available for an efficient control of even the large sized mega herbivores like elephants.

Well padded squeeze cages are available for the control of cervid species like spotted deer, sambar deer etc.

Chain link fences are used to restrain many species of wild animals including non-human primates like Bonnet macaques in an efficient manner.

Ketch-All-Pole, Snares Electric Rods

The ketch-all-Pole gadgets may be used for control the highly aggressive wild carnivores of smaller size. Snares are used to control the species like wild boars, camels etc.

Electric rods are currently used as a means of defensive action. In case of highly aggressive animal, this may be used for an effective control whenever required.

Gadgets Based on Sight and Sound

The puppets are mainly used to capture the freely swimming birds in a lake etc.

Mist nets are of fine ones and can be spotted out only out of serious observations. These are used mainly for the restraint of cervids like spotted deer, antelopes like blackbuck. However, they need to be placed with suitable height.

The visual barriers directing the wild animals in one direction with facilities for the placement of obstacles may be used for the proper restraint of cervids.

The spot lights are used with adequate illuminative power, in the night periods. The eyes of the wild animals will glow often in this targeted spot light. The animals may be restrained subsequently.

The carbondioxide fire extinguisher based gadgets are simply used to have control over the wild animal by means of developing some foam or noise in front of the concerned wild animal especially in case of some emergency conditions.

The hoods made of clothes are used for the control of the big sized birds like ostriches, emus, cassowary etc.

Foot Hold Traps and Drop Nets

These foot hold traps are mainly useful to restrain the carnivores in the free ranging regions like the wolf, hyena, jackals etc.

Drop nets are used to capture the non-human primates, cervids, antelopes etc. but more caution is needed to use these gadgets for the restraint purpose.

Nets made of nylon or cotton with sufficient durability may be used for an efficient restraint of the wild animal.

Pressure Force, Cushion and Mattresses

The pressure force to be exerted by fingers help to exercise more control in the birds captured. However, some experience is required for it’s efficient usage.

Mattresses can be used safely but with cautions in cervids, antelopes etc. and these gadgets are of useful as barriers mainly.

Cushion may be used to give specific support in selected spots during the restraining operations of cervids in trucks or fenced chambers.

Miscellaneous Gadgets

Mouth gags may be useful for small sized wild mammals like jungle cats, foxes, jackals etc. However, needs a clear assessment. Snares also may be used to restrian the wild animals at a distance.

Adjustable partitions are used in between the animals like carnivores. The enclosures for lions or panthers often have the partitions that can be operated from outside in a more safe manner.

The drop gates with pulley system can be used to capture and restraint of non-human primates, wild pigs etc.

Snake hooks for snakes and elephant hooks for elephants may be of more useful in physical restraint procedures.

Please note that the snake hook needs to have an adequately lengthy handle to provide safety to the operator or restraining personnel associated. Transparent plastic tubes may be used for the proper restraint of serpentines.

Nets are being used for various species of wild fauna especially birds.

Techniques Using Specific Sense Perception

Cooling

The cooling related reflex can be used to control the wild animals like serpentines.

Vision

Vision related reflex can be used to control the wild animals and such types of restraints are often used to control the vision based stress reactions also in case of wild animals.

It is to be remembered that the blind folded wild animals may not show much excitement unlike the wild animal which has not been blind folded.

Complete coverage but with the proper ventilation using thick cloth like tarpaulin may be of useful in quitening the concerned wild animal. This feature is to be taken care of during the calming down of the free ranging wild animal like leopard etc.

It is to be remembered that the nocturnal wild animals may be less active in broad day light and similarly, the diurnal wild animals may be less active in night time.

Psychological tool

Voice may be helpful to some extent for the proper restraint of the wild animal. However, it may not be taken as a more reliable tool for the restraint of the wild animal.

Smell

Sometimes, the presence of excreta from same animal or the same species may have some degree of calming effects.

Factors to be Considered Before the Restraint

One has to consider multiple factors before making an effective restraint procedures in case of various species of wild animals.

One may encounter failure if due considerations are not given in the different factors that are required for a successful restraint in the field conditions.