A WSPA disaster assessment and response (DART) team arrives in Myanmar today and Tuesday following an initial WSPA delivery of 31 tons of animal feed. The feed will be met in Myanmar by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Based on UN and Myanmar government rapid assessment figures, WSPA estimates that as many as 48 million animals may have been wiped out by the cyclone - a figure equivalent to the entire human population of the country.

DART team leader Dr. Ian Dacre said today: "We can't wait to get in and start delivering aid to animals - by doing that we will also improve the situation for people who rely on these animals for their food and livelihoods. Our plan is to work alongside humanitarian agencies and use the logistic framework that they have established to distribute aid."

WSPA is the first animal welfare organization to be granted access to Myanmar and will be working to distribute food, prevent the spread of disease and alleviate suffering among the surviving animals, which are vital to the recovery and food security of the communities affected by Cyclone Nargis.