Vets by boat for Iraq's water buffaloes
STORY: Location: Chebayesh Marshes, Iraq
Vets are taking to boats to help Iraq's water buffaloes -->
This ‘mobile veterinary clinic’ aims to support the indigenous Marsh Arabs
who rely on their herds for survival
Buffaloes here are threatened by polluted water and climate change
In the summer, water levels decrease and temperatures rise
making them highly susceptible to diseases and causing birth rates to drop
[Raad Habib al-Asadi, President / The Chebayesh Eco-tourism Organization]
"This is providing big services to the water buffaloes, and it decreases the pain and suffering of buffalo herders. It decreases their expenses. Because they produce less milk now, the water levels are down, all this impacted the economic status of the herders. So I believe that this (mobile clinic) boat that provides veterinary services will preserve and decrease the expenses of herders.”
The mobile veterinary clinic boat has basic equipment and a driver
Local vets can use it to visit herders in remote parts of the marshes
to examine the animals and collect information on their health
