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US air force evacuates pets
09/01/2005 21:49 - (SA)
Bangkok - The US air force on Sunday helped move some forgotten survivors of the destructive tsunami that wiped out parts of southern Thailand - more than 100 homeless cats and a single dog whose owners are believed to have perished.
The crew of an air force transport plane which has been flying relief missions to the region agreed to bring the 122 cats and lone canine passenger to Bangkok after an appeal from a Thai animal protection society whose volunteers had rescued the four-legged survivors.
In Bangkok, the animals will be placed under the care of the Thai Animal Guardians Association until new homes can be found for them, said Tassanee Mohwang, an official with the group.
The orphaned pets were found on Phi Phi island, one of the Thai resort areas most severely hit by the tsunami, she said.
Thailand suffered about 5 300 confirmed human fatalities in the calamity, with more than 3 500 people still unaccounted for.
Tassanee said some of the animals on Phi Phi were discovered taking shelter in ruined homes, while others were turned over by the police. Their owners were believed to be missing, and presumed dead.
Phi Phi island's population was predominantly Muslim, who traditionally prefer cats to dogs, Tassanee added, explaining the preponderance of felines.
She estimated that more than 100 abandoned cats remained on Phi Phi, and said the association would launch a new rescue mission soon with specialists from the World Society for the Protection of Animals.
The Massachusetts-based group has organized teams of rescue specialists and veterinarians to travel to India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand, which have been badly affected by the tsunami.
- SAPA
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