Animal welfare for species protection | YAQU PACHA has been active as a species protection organization in South America and Latin America since 1992 to save endangered aquatic mammal species from extinction.
But YAQU PACHA is also active in animal protection, such as rescuing stranded La Plata dolphins. These are mostly juveniles and dolphin calves that we find on the beaches as part of the beach inspections of our partners - such as CRAM-FURG in Brazil, Karumbé in Uruguay or Fundación Mundo Marino in Argentina.
In this context, YAQU PACHA is working with the National Marine Mammal Foundation (USA) and local organizations to develop a coordinated, step-by-step action plan for the conservation of the La Plata Dolphin - Franciscana - Toninha. As a first step, the strategy aims to unify existing rescue and rehabilitation efforts in animal conservation in South America and improve neonatal survival rates. For this purpose, local veterinarians will be equipped with the knowledge and tools with the aim of improving the survival rates of the animals.
This animal protection project will serve as a guide for future conservation efforts for other small dolphins and porpoises facing similar threats.
Procedure
In the event of a live stranding, the animals are transported in special boxes to the nearest rehabilitation center as quickly as possible for medical treatment and examination. Initial examinations are carried out at the center and first aid is administered. The animals are cared for there in special water tanks equipped with high-quality filter systems, which is crucial for the survival of the La Plata dolphins.
The aim of YAQU PACHA is to provide the animals with the best possible care by providing all the necessary equipment, such as tanks and filter systems, transport boxes, milk, medication and more.
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The rescued dolphins are monitored around the clock, given medication if necessary and supplied with special rearing milk at regular intervals. In the case of the small cetaceans, a very special milk is required, which is produced exclusively in the USA as dry milk.
It is known that several newborn small cetaceans have been successfully hand-reared and rehabilitated with this product in many countries. These products are currently not available in South America. The milk substitutes available locally contain ingredients such as soy and excessive carbohydrates that the animals cannot digest, which is why they cannot tolerate the products.
Rehabilitated neonates are certainly the most challenging for first responders because the initial stages of rehabilitation are complicated and because these animals rarely have contact with conspecifics and must become accustomed to human care. Despite these difficulties, the ultimate goal in animal protection for these rehabilitated animals should be life in a natural or semi-natural habitat.
This work in animal protection is not only important to save individual dolphins, but helps us to better understand these animals and improve our work in animal protection, but also in species conservation.
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Alliance for Franciscana-Dolphin Conservation Research, Rescue and Rehabilitation (AFC3R)
The Alliance for Franciscana Dolphin Conservation Research, Rescue and Rehabilitation (AFC3R) was founded in 2019 after the ESOCC Franciscana WorkShop in Argentina and in response to the high number of live strandings of La Plata dolphins(Pontoporia blainvillei) in South America. In the last 20 years, this number has exceeded 133 animals, although these figures only refer to a small part of the entire distribution area.
Due to its preference for nearshore waters, this species is particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic impacts, especially incidental mortality, particularly in gillnet fisheries. Although the exact numbers of franciscana bycatch for the entire range are not yet known, the high annual mortality rates calculated for some areas indicate that bycatch levels are unsustainable. As the La Plata dolphin is threatened with extinction in some regions, it is classified as "vulnerable" by the IUCN worldwide. At regional level, such as in Brazil, it is classified as critically endangered.
The alliance comprises over 27 experts, including veterinarians, biologists and rehabilitation specialists, all of whom have many years of experience in dealing with small cetaceans. The participants in this alliance come from Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, the USA and Germany and represent various institutions.
The group's main objective is to develop rehabilitation protocols for stranded La Plata dolphins that follow strict scientific criteria but are also based on management knowledge. All South American colleagues have worked for years in rehabilitation centers in their home countries and have a wide range of expertise in this field. The protocols were developed in a step-by-step, collaborative process that drew on local and species-specific expertise as well as expertise gained from working with other small cetaceans. The first protocols were partially applied during the 2020 stranding season, when three stranded La Plata dolphins were found in Argentina and Brazil. This practical application during protocol development not only helped to test the protocol for applicability, but also to improve it. The development of the protocol also included the standardization of data collection for live and dead animals so that data gaps from each stranded animal could be closed. During the development of the protocols, it also became clear that it is not enough to define the different phases of rehabilitation, but that it is also immensely important to specify the material requirements that are ultimately necessary for successful work. Therefore, another task of the Alliance is to ensure that the rehabilitation centers in South America are equipped with the necessary materials/medicines for dolphin welfare.
In the future, these protocols will serve as "living documents" that will be regularly updated as experience is gained from each rehabilitation effort. In addition, the protocols will also serve as a model for future conservation measures for other dolphin species around the world facing similar problems.
Ultimately, the alliance wants to raise awareness for the protection of this endangered dolphin species through its activities.
Members of the Alliance:
YAQU PACHA e.V., Germany
Nuremberg Zoo, Germany
National Marine Mammal Foundation, USA (NMMF)
Dolphin Quest, USA
Fundación Mundo Marino, Argentina
Mundo Marino, Argentina
Aquarium, Argentina
Aqua Marina, Argentina
Karumbé, Uruguay
Yaqu Pacha Uruguay, Uruguay
Centro de Recuperação de Animais Marinhos (CRAM-FURG), Brazil
AIUKA, Brazil
Associação R3 Animal, Brazil
Univ. of São Paulo, Brazil
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