Mississippi Flood Pictures: Pets, Wild Animals Seek Safety

Heading for Drier Pastures

Photograph by Eric Thayer, Reuters

Cattle look for dry land as floodwaters slowly rise near Turner, Arkansas, on Tuesday. In addition to livestock, wild animals such as snakes and deer have been heading for higher ground—and they may not have suitable places to return to as floodwaters recede.

While most wild animals will survive the Mississippi River flood, for some their habitats could take years to return to normal, said Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency officer Jereme Odom.

"Animals will be displaced for so long that, when the water does recede, it will take a while to get back to their original habitats," he said. "Some may be established elsewhere or displaced so far away that they never get back."

(Read "Mississippi Flood Flushes Snakes, Deer Into Neighborhoods.")

Published May 13, 2011

Watery Diversion

Photograph by Sean Gardner, Reuters

A fish jumps as water is deposited into the Bonnet Carre spillway from the Mississippi River in Norco, Louisiana, Monday.

When floods threaten the region, officials open the gates of the spillway—built in response to the Mississippi's Great Flood of 1927—to divert water from the river into Lake Pontchartrain.

(See "Flood Pictures: Mississippi River at Its Worst.")

Published May 13, 2011

Swimming Serpent

Photograph by Eric Thayer, Reuters

A snake swims in Mississippi River floodwaters in Holly Grove, Arkansas, on Tuesday. As floodwaters receded in Shelby County, Tennessee, this week, county spokesperson Steve Shular noted that "we're starting to see some issues, especially with the snakes"—including venomous pit vipers called cottonmouths, or water moccasins.

"When that water gets into a neighborhood, snakes are going to be searching for shelter and food in homes or sheds or wherever they can slither into," Shular said.

(Related: "Mississippi Floods Can Be Restrained With Natural Defenses.")

Published May 13, 2011

Stranded Herd

Photograph by Denny Simmons, Evansville Courier & Press/AP

Hemmed in by Mississippi River floodwaters, dozens of deer gather on one of the few dry spots in Posey County's Point Township on May 4.

Around Memphis (map), Tennessee, this week, "we've seen photos of herds of deer on levees trying to get away from the waters and heard from the Army Corps of Engineers that they've seen deer drowned during the flood," Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency officer Odom said.

"One of our wildlife managers even spotted deer and coyotes"—natural enemies—"standing on the same levee together."

Published May 13, 2011

Precious Cargo

Photograph by Lance Murphey, AP

On May 7 William Owen holds his dog Precious at an emergency center set up at a local mall after being evacuated from flooded Redwood Estates trailer park in Memphis, Tennessee.

Other pets will soon be headed to Natchez, Mississippi, where the Humane Society of the United States announced it would help establish a temporary shelter. The facility will start accepting up to 300 flood-displaced animals Wednesday.

Also see pictures of pets evacuated in the aftermath of 2005's Hurricane Katrina >>

Published May 13, 2011