ICNF leaves injured roe deer without veterinary assistance for 3 days

A recent situation reflects deep problems in the performance of ICNF (Portuguese Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests) regarding its responsibility to manage the reception and transport of injured or debilitated wild animals. The van that was supposed to transport the animals for recovery has been broken for about a year.

Last Friday, Milvoz was contacted to intervene with the competent authorities in order to ensure that a roe deer that had been hit by a car was quickly taken to a recovery centre. The animal, which at the time wouldn't get up and was apathetic, demonstrated the need for urgent veterinary assessment and care.

However, despite making several calls, the transport was only carried out on the following Monday, more than 70 hours after the incident was first reported. During this long and unacceptable waiting period, the injured animal remained without any specialised veterinary assessment, and only received minimal care from volunteers, who provided it with water and insistently pressured the authorities.

The ICNF's blatant inefficiency in dealing with this specific situation was quickly exposed: the official vehicle used to transport large wild animals for recovery has been broken down for around a year. This serious observation raises profound questions about the efficiency of ICNF's actions in relation to its competences. In many cases, speed of action makes all the difference to the success of the operation and the survival of the animal.

Since 2021, the lack of a functional reception centre in Choupal (Coimbra) has prevented the provision of immediate care to injured or dependent animals, forcing them to be regularly transported directly to the recovery centre. As a result, many animals remain for hours, or even days - as was the case with this roe deer - in avoidable suffering, deprived of veterinary assistance or adequate food, until transport to the recovery centre is carried out.

Milvoz demands concrete clarification from ICNF:

- How are the animals being transported, given that the service's only van earmarked for this purpose has been inoperable for nearly a year?

- What response is given to critical cases, where survival depends on immediate care?

- What structural alternatives exist to guarantee swift and effective actions, given the absence of a reception centre in the region?

The successive unfulfilled promises regarding the reactivation of the regional reception centre accumulate year after year, with direct and severe damage to the success of the recovery operations, the welfare of the animals and the credibility of the institutions involved.

It is unacceptable that the public response to these situations continues to be characterised by negligence, inefficiency and a lack of responsibility. Milvoz will continue to denounce and demand a structural, swift and dignified response, in line with the mission and competences of ICNF.