Kanlaon Volcano eruption killed over 3,000 farm animals in 2 cities alone

BACOLOD, Philippines – The eruption of Kanlaon Volcano on June 3 killed more than 3,000 farm animals in the cities of Bago and La Carlota in Negros Occidental alone, the Office of the Provincial Veterinary (OPV) reported on Monday, June 24.

The toll does not even account for the animals in La Castellana, the town most ravaged by the eruption, which has upended the lives of thousands across Negros Island.

Dr. Ryan Janoya, head of the OPV’s Animal Health and Meat Inspection Services, said a veterinary mission conducted two weeks after the eruption found that a total of 3,421 farm animals in the two cities had died due to ashfall or sulfur inhalation. The animals included pigs, cattle, goats, chickens, and dogs.

Many other animals, especially ruminants in Bago and La Carlota, are now suffering from respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses, he said. The PVO has distributed free feeds and medicines, and treated several affected animals during the veterinary mission.

Provincial government veterinarians have started to assess two villages in La Castellana – Biak na Bato and Cabagna-an – and also found that many animals, especially cattle and goats from the four-kilometer danger zone, have suffered burns and are also ailing.

Janoya said the OVP’s  immediate goal is to stabilize the condition of those animals affected by the eruption.

Dr. Renante Decena, former provincial veterinarian, said on Tuesday, June 25, that animals ailing due to sulfur inhalation need protein molasses from sugar centrals. He explained that molasses serve as an energy booster and aid in proper digestion.

“That’s the immediate recourse to address their health problems in eruption-affected localities right now,” he said.

Bringing healthy grass from other places in the province will also help the animals recover, Decena said.

Joan Nathaniel Gerangaya, Negros Occidental’s environment and natural resources officer, noted that there was a migration of birds from the Kanlaon Volcano area to the mountainsides of Silay and Talisay areas. 

Weeks after the eruption, Kanlaon Volcano continued to be under Alert Level 2 as declared by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs). – Rappler.com