While over 75,000 people have reportedly fled their homes for fear of a big eruption from Bali’s Mount Agung, animal rescuers are busy relocating and caring for the thousands of animals left behind by evacuees.
Agung, located in Bali’s Karangasem regency (75 kilometers from Kuta), has been rumbling for the past month and an eruption is feared to be imminent for the first time in over 50 years. The volcano is currently on the highest alert level and an exclusion zone of nine kilometers as been set from the crater.
The Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN), sent in an emergency rescue team to patrol evacuated areas, bringing food and water to birds, dogs, cats, cows, and whatever other abandoned animals they could find. Some animals were left unable to fend for themselves, tied up or in cages, according to the NGO—though let it also be noted some people also have refused to evacuate and abandon their livelihoods, their livestock.
And of course not all pet-owners abandoned their “furbabies,” like this loyal woman:
Working to evacuate and feed the animals along with JAAN is Bali NGO, BARC, as well as Animals Indonesia. A crowdfunding page for the effort has been put up on MyCause to collect money for bags of dry dog food.
Meanwhile, the Bali Animal Welfare Association (BAWA) is also rescuing dogs in the area and has set up a temporary shelter for relocated animals abandoned in the face of the potential eruption.
The organization has put out a desperate plea for tourists coming into Bali to bring extra towels in their luggage, to be used as bedding for evacuated dogs.
