The Costa Rica News (TCRN) – Dogs have been the creatures hit hardest by the ash emanating from the Turrialba volcano. Reports from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) say of the 350 dogs near the volcano, about 45% have been affected.
Felipe Arguedas, director of MAG regional operations, said many of these animals are on the loose and are abandoned by their owners. To cope, the ministry distributed a thousand kilos of food for dogs and cats.
“In part we have 250 bovines that need to be moved or they’ll have eating problems. We are presenting a plan to the National Emergency Commission (CNE) to feed the animals for at least four weeks, as we await the development of the volcano’s activity,” voiced the official.
Some 83 cattle farms have been inspected, of these 17% reported a significant interruption from the ash. In the case of cattle, of 6,213 located on these farms only 4.9% are affected and in the case of the 267 horses, only 3% had been affected.
Turrialba volcano activity remains constant, emanating steam and gases. Also internal earthquakes continue to occur, creating uncertainty in the coming weeks.
“People are concerned; they do not want to leave their properties and are worried about what might happen. If the National Emergency Commission (CNE) eventually needs to evacuate, we’ll have to evacuate the animals, which can be complicated,” described the officer.
Ash implications
Carmen Rodriguez, director of the Department of Health Turrialba-Jiménez, explained that populations are divided into three rings, the nearest being those within five kilometers from the volcano. They toured the area to verify the number of residents in the vicinity of the colossus.
“We have reports that there is increased incidence of respiratory problems as far as Santa Cruz de Turrialba,” cited the director.
Over the weekend, Turrialba Red Cross reported that they had cases where people reported nausea and vomiting, apparently from the presence of ash in the area. (Crhoy)
The Costa Rica News (TCRN)
San Jose, Costa Rica