What happens to the animals?

Question

When firefighters are fighting forest fires and they come across injured wild animals, what is done with them? Are they euthanized or do they get sent to an animal hospital?

Answer 1

They're S.O.L. (You remember "Bambi", don't you?)

People who are fighting fires have two priorities.  To stay alive, and to try to control the fire. Sentimentality comes way down the list.

You've seen video footage of the fires in California, haven't you? If you have the courage, check out what bush fires have been doing in Australia.  When a fire is advancing faster than cars with melting tires can drive, how much attention do you think people give to injured wild animals?  

People fighting forest fires have to carry at least 60-lb. packs of necessities, over miles of rough terrain.  Do you think they are likely to carry euthanasia tool(s)?  Do you really think injured critters are going to be taken by helicopter to the nearest animal hospital (often hundreds of miles away), rather than carrying water, supplies and equipment for fighting fires?

In a society where many pet owners won't pay to have their pets neutered, who or what do you think would be paying for veterinary care for injured forest animals? In a world when children are going blind for lack a 25-cent innoculation, or starving (because world food prices have gone up because food is being converted into 'biofuel') what would be the ethical considerations?

I don't know how much airplane fuel it takes to power the helicopters used to fight fire.  But I know that the high-octane fuel requies an enormous amount of petroleum to make it. (That's why the Archbishop of London has said that it is a serious sin to travel by air, except in cases of urgent necessity. But I digress .... )

Answer 2

mostly they are abandoned because of their business after all life of humans is better than life of animals

Answer 3

Generally the animals do a good jog of getting away from fire.  Those that don't are old, sick or hurt.  Firefighters know this.  Besides, when you are busy firefighting, you don't have the time to care for animals.  There is obviously a safety issue.  So why make the job tougher.

Occasionally they pick up an animal.  A few days ago there was a story in the news about a firefighter saving a black bear cub.

Answer 4

Well, they put the humans as first priority, and then they see what they can do about the animals. It's actually kind of sad, now that I think about it...