Amid wreckage from Hurricane Melissa, rescuers find comfort in survival of creatures great & small
KINGSTON, Jamaica––Self-introduces Damion Laren Whyte, “I am a naturalist from the Island of Jamaica.”
A lecturer for the Department of Life Sciences at the University of the West Indies, located in Mona, Jamaica, five miles from Kingston at the east end of the island, Whyte maintains multiple Rooster’s World social media pages documenting and educating about Jamaican wildlife, from worms to whales.
Whyte also happened to be among the first animal advocates to investigate and report about the effects on animals of Hurricane Melissa.
(Beth Clifton collage)
“Can’t wait to see which bat species were active!”
“Out on campus this morning, checking if my office and the acoustic detectors we placed in the field made it through the storm,” Whyte opened on October 30, 2025.
“The Wildlife Acoustics Bat Minis were mounted in trees to record bat activity,” Whyte explained, “so I’m heading out to make sure they’re still in place and functioning after Hurricane Melissa.
What Whyte discovered was that his colleague Nicholas “placed the Wildlife Acoustics Song Meter Mini Bat 2 detector at the perfect spot — and it survived Hurricane Melissa!
“Now I have acoustic data from before, during, and after the storm,” Whyte exulted.
“Can’t wait to see which bat species were active through it all!”
(Damion Whyte Facebook photo)
“Big ups” for survivors who care about animals
Whyte found much else to celebrate as his travels continued where roads were open.
“A special big up,” Whyte offered, “to the people who rescued an injured barn owl who got battered during Hurricane Melissa in St, Andrew and brought the owl safely to the Hope Zoo.
“There are only a few animal rescue centers on the island,” Whyte said, “and they need all the support they can get during this time.
A little later Whyte extended “Thanks to Javian Hariott for sharing photo of one of our endemic Jamaican blind snakes he found at home! After the hurricane,” Whyte instructed,
“animals like this may show up in unusual places as they look for dry ground. If you see one, just gently guide it back outside.
“The blind snake is one of only seven snake species found in Jamaica,” Whyte advised, “and all of them are non-venomous.”
“Wetland birds making use” of flooding
Driving on, Whyte reached Santa Cruz, in south-central Jamaica, entering the main path of destruction on the western third of the island, from St. Elizabeth Parish up to Montego Bay.
“After leaving Santa Cruz,” Whyte wrote, “we came across a large body of water that formed within a nearby community. Residents told us that the Little River had overflowed its banks, flooding the surrounding area.
“We observed several wetland birds making use of the space. It’s likely that fish have moved in with the floodwaters. Locals mentioned that this usually happens during major flood events.”
The wildlife news back at the University of the West Indies, though, turned sad.
“Our hearts go out to everyone on the western side of the island who were hardest hit by Hurricane Melissa,” Whyte posted.
(Beth Clifton collage)
Antillean palm swift colony devastated
“While we wait to reach them, we’re here at UWI Mona rescuing the birds we can. Our Antillean palm swift colony was devastated— over 60 birds lost, four freed, and more than a dozen injured or soaked.
“These amazing little birds nest together in the dead coconut leaves on campus,” Whyte explained. “After Hurricane Melissa, many were found covered in mud, some injured or trapped in the foliage.
“We gently cleaned them, got them dry, and released the survivors back into the wild. Every small rescue counts,” Whyte emphasized.
“We found many dead, but also a few survivors buried in the litter. We brought them inside under a heat lamp, and a couple have already flown off. We’re now reaching out to experts to guide us on caring for the injured and the young ones who survived.
“I’ve been monitoring this colony of Jamaican palm swifts for a few years now,” Whyte mentioned. “Sadly, Hurricane Melissa has damaged their nesting site.”
“Nature always finds a way!”
Then Whyte became upbeat again, posting a photo of “A lovely croaking lizard who came out to say hi while we were clearing the vegetation to rescue birds.
“Nature always finds a way!”
Whyte also offered “A special big up to Lawrence Henriques at the Holland Bay Crocodile Sanctuary in St. Thomas, who stayed back to look after the crocodiles during the storm. We’re worried, but we know he’ll be safe out there.
“There are so many unsung heroes like Lawrence,” Whyte said, “who go above and beyond to protect Jamaica’s wildlife — rain or shine.”
The Holland Bay Crocodile Sanctuary “experienced downed trees and flooding, but they also reported that all animals and people are safe,” posted Zoo Disaster Response, Rescue, and Recovery, affiliated with the American Zoo Association.
Whyte finally extended “A special big up to [Hope Zoo director] Joey Brown for helping the palm swifts.”
The Hope Zoo
The Hope Zoo, in Kingston, reportedly lost electricity, along with practically everywhere else in Jamaica, and suffered a generator failure as well.
“Hurricane Melissa left them without power, and their generator has failed. But the animals and personnel have been reported safe,” Zoo Disaster Response, Rescue, and Recovery said.
“We have been in touch with the Hope Zoo Kingston,” updated the International Iguana Foundation, headquartered at the Fort Worth Zoo in Texas, “and we are thankful to hear that they got through Hurricane Melissa without major damage.
“There is some flooding, and some recovery will be needed, but overall they are okay,” the International Iguana Foundation added.
Iguanas
“The iguanas at the headstart facility seem to have ridden through the storm fairly well, hunkering down in the cages and hiding tubes. The staff are looking at setting up a warming area for them, especially this year’s hatchlings, which were already smaller and less robust because of the drought this summer.”
“We are concerned for the field stations conducting work with Jamaican iguanas. All field rangers have reported being safe,” the International Iguana Foundation said, “but it will take time to understand what damage has been sustained.”
The International Iguana Foundation sent “a heartfelt shout-out and many thanks to the Hope Zoo staff, for their careful planning and hard work to secure the facility and ensure the safety of the iguanas in such terrible circumstances.
“We are thinking of them as they start the cleanup and repairs, as well as all in Jamaica who are facing such difficult times,” the International Iguana Foundation finished.
Dolphins
Among the most widely circulated videos of preparations for Hurricane Melissa, before Melissa hit, was a brief clip showing a dozen dolphins who had been relocated from the Dolphin Cove Jamaica marine mammal park on the north central coast of the island to a large hotel swimming pool in Columbus Heights, about three miles southeast, where they were believed to be safer.
Reported the captive marine mammal information Facebook page Ceta Base, “The Dolphin Cove Jamaica animals sheltering in Columbus Heights are okay.
“Now that the storm has passed, their normal habitat has to be repaired and inspected before they can return,” Ceta Base added.
There are also dolphin exhibition facilities at Mystic Ridge and Montego Bay in Jamaica, but as of Halloween, no information was available about how those dolphins fared.
Animal House Jamaica
An Animal House Jamaica spokesperson identifying herself as “Ellie in Florida” on October 30, 2025 posted to Facebook that director Tasha Ninotchka had informed her that “She and the animals at our satellite in Drax Hall are okay.
“The winds were furious and took down most of the fence and every tree but one,” Ellie relayed. “The back door is blocked by fallen trees. The winds were so strong, they blew a parked jeep from where it was back toward the house. It too is now covered in trees. There is also flooding behind the house.
“We have not heard any news from the shelter, which is very concerning,” Ellie said, “although the cell towers could be at issue. Roads are likely impassable and may be for several days. Tasha does not know if she can even egress [exit] the property.
“We are managing a complicated situation, even before the storm,” Ellie said, “with a skeleton staff and limited funds. Tasha is single handedly taking care of over 20 animals, including special needs cases, at our satellite location, which came close to destruction yesterday.”
At the shelter, Ellie explained, “basically we have 3-4 workers to care for our dogs. Right now the safety of those staff and our animals is what we are concerned with.”
November 1, 2025 update
A November 1, 2025 Animal House Jamaica update offered further detail.
“An outpouring of support and assistance is all in process and on its way,” the update began. “Conditions across the island range from okay to utterly devastated. Relief shipments and supplies are beginning to arrive. Montego Bay was particularly hard hit, along with devastation in the parishes along the south coast, but serious damage also extends as far east as St. Mary.
“International teams of expert animal welfare-focused first responders have mobilized,” Animal House Jamaica continued. “We will have a team working with us on the ground in the next two days. We were able to get our driver up to the shelter yesterday and indeed everyone is okay––they apparently were spared the most intense winds, but it was a mess,” even after “They had already done a lot of clearing tree debris,” with clean-up ongoing.
“Our satellite location is covered in large fallen trees and part of the property still flooded,” Jamaica Animal House added. “The animals are all being kept inside right now. It is very hard to get in and out of the front, much less the back.
‘No power is expected for at least 2 weeks, maybe longer. There are long lines for gas, but our shelter has a generator.”
Montego Bay Animal Haven
Montego Bay Animal Haven reported that, “First and foremost all of our staff are safe and sound!”
The resident dogs and two cows apparently survived Hurricane Melissa in good shape but “shaken up,” although “The damage to our enclosures for the dogs is extensive. The cattery is gone and our three cats went missing. So far we have located two of them and they are safely secured in crates in the building for the time being.
“Almost everything securing the dogs is down or damaged,” Montego Bay Animal Haven posted, “and their sheds are gone. The road up to the Haven is impassible. Even on foot it’s difficult to pass in some places. Mentally we still haven’t even processed the extent of the damage we’re facing. Heartbroken doesn’t begin to describe it. But we’re going to rebuild and we’re going to make major improvements. ”
“We are going to need a lot of help to rebuild,” Montego Bay Animal Haven acknowledged, “and we want to use this opportunity to even improve our existing facility so that we are better equipped to handle a bad storm in the future.
“Right now,” though, Montego Bay Animal Haven said, “our biggest concern is getting the road clear so we can truck supplies up, just to make sure our dogs are fed and our staff have everything they need for themselves.”
Montego Bay Animal Haven also mentioned urgently needing “some kitten formula, as we have some babies in foster care and we only have half a tin left and some goat’s milk.”
Negril Pup Rescue
Negril Pup Rescue on October 31, 2025 acknowledged “searching high and low for dog food and working constantly on logistics, recovery, aid , and communication.
“There were some dogs outside throughout the hurricane in the kennels,” Negril Pup Rescue said. “If we had a place to bring them inside, we would have, but we had 35 dogs in our house and as many dogs as could fit in the shipping container that we were not able to finish as a hurricane shelter. There was no other room,” with foster placements unavailable during the crisis.
From Jamaica, Hurricane Melissa turned north, swept across Cuba, where information about animals and animal care facilities was unavailable, and then, having slowed from Category 5 force to Category 2, hit the Bahamas.
Manfred’s Animal Rescue, in Cockburn Town on San Salvador Island, the only animal rescue facility on the island, issued no written update about conditions, but posted eight photos of storm damage to facilities, including a damaged airplane.
Dave Pauli on the way
Dave Pauli, a veteran of animal rescue after countless disasters, beginning with Hurricane Andrew in Florida in 1992, who was incident commander for animal rescue after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, left his home in Missoula, Montana, headed to Jamaica, on October 30, 2025, arriving on November 1.
Formerly a 30-year employee of the Humane Society of the U.S., Pauli now does disaster relief on assignment for Greater Good Charities, based in Seattle.
(Daniel Leventhal photo)
“My primary mission,” Pauli said, “is wildlife rescue and providing syrup to honey bees and other native pollinators until plant life recovers.”
Pauli also expected to help with supply distribution and arranging rescue flights for dogs and cats evacuated from Jamaican shelters.
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Horrific as the hurricane conditions are with their accompanying package of huge stress, I am certain that the actions to rescue these animals, bring them comfort, ease their pain, and save their lives give these people an experience of what is most important in life–purpose and an opportunity to feel connection and love. They are taken out of themselves and out of the current event and enter a larger realm.
So good to hear that help is on the way. I was communicating with Dave literally just as he was preparing to depart for Jamaica and appreciate all the work he does with Greater Good.
You wrote an article about me helping the cat sanctuary at the Iberostar hotel. I have started a GoFundMe to raise funds for the needed medical supplies and rebuilding. Can you post the link? https://gofund.me/7b6b26fd5 Thank you. Mike