Volunteers in northern Indonesia are braving lava flows and falling rocks to rescue pets left behind after the recent eruption of Mt. Ruang.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00In the last month, Mount Rung in northern Indonesia has erupted over a dozen times.
00:09The volcano stirred up lightning storms and spewed ash and lava onto the surrounding islands.
00:14Eleven thousand nearby residents were forced to evacuate, leaving their homes, possessions
00:20and pets behind.
00:22Now volunteers from neighboring islands are risking their lives to rescue the animals
00:26that survived.
00:27There's one cat, two dogs, and one bird.
00:32Many of the animals they rescued have physical and mental scars from their ordeal.
00:36They spent weeks in burned out and abandoned homes, scavenging for food in a landscape
00:41choked with ash and debris.
00:43I want to drink, I want to eat, stress, trauma, fear, that's why it's hard to be rescued.
00:55Indonesian officials have warned that the ongoing eruptions are causing landslides and
00:59lava flows on the island.
01:01But as rocks continue to fall, the rescue workers continue their mission, moving injured
01:06animals to nearby shelters for treatment.
01:23While the animals have been treated for physical injuries, it's clear it will take far longer
01:28for them to recover emotionally from the trauma.
01:43Both the animals and the people affected by Mount Rung's eruption will bear the scars
01:47of disaster long into the future.
01:50Weeks after the initial blast, at least 800 residents from the island have been told they'll
01:55have to resettle permanently.
01:57But thanks to the efforts of these rescuers, at least some of them will be able to do so
02:02with their pets.
02:03John Su and Bryn Thomas for Taiwan Plus.