AS rescuers comb the ash-covered landscape looking for people after Mount Semeru erupted in Indonesia earlier this month, volunteers are also searching for vulnerable survivors: cats, cows and other animals.

The disaster killed 48 people, according to the latest toll, and rescuers are still seeking bodies in the mud and rubble.

As deadly ash destroyed villages in Lumajang, East Java, at least 767 cows and 648 sheep were killed and thousands of chickens buried by the mudflow, according to authorities.

Satria Wardhana, along with a team of 15 volunteers from the Centre for Orangutan Protection (COP), has rescued and treated 76 cows and scores of goats and sheep abandoned by villagers who fled the area.

“We evacuate animals that have owners. For strays, if they are injured, we treat them on the spot,” said Satria in Curah Kobokan, the village closest to the volcano.

The team has also evacuated two goats whose owners died and incinerated goat carcasses to prevent the spread of disease.

“We also… feed animals who survived, like cats, dog and chickens,” said Satria, who works in COP’s disaster rescue division.

Surviving cows, goats, sheep and cats have injuries such as burns on their ears and feet, said centre veterinarian Dian Tresno Wikanti.

“Their ears are hairless as they burn easily. Many also suffer from coughing. Some are also stressed out and there is a goat that had a miscarriage. These animals are… dehydrated because it is hot here.”

‘Usually abandoned’

The vet also goes door-to-door in villages in Lumajang, checking the condition of injured animals.

In Sumber Mujur, Dian treated a cat that was trapped under rubble for four days, its paws seared by lava.

The owner, Ryan, said he is happy that his pet is able to get speedy medical treatment.

“I ran to save myself and did not have time to take the cat. The medical team… said it is traumatised, but it is getting better now.”

In the same village, volunteers treated two evacuated cows, applying burn ointment and injecting vitamins.

For the team, saving the lives of animals is a part of being human.

“Animals are usually abandoned because the main target of a rescue is humans. That is why we are rescuing those who are forgotten,” said Dian.

Rescuing animals can also help lessen survivors’ trauma, said Satria.

“Psychologically, they will be more at ease because… their animals also survived.” – AFP, December 16, 2021.