Drone delivers food and water to pets surrounded by lava

A pilot of the Spanish Military Emergencies Unit (UME) uses a drone to deliver food and water to pets that are surrounded by lava from the Cumbre Vieja volcano's continuing eruption in La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain.

Drone delivers food and water to pets surrounded by lava

The photo was provided by the Spanish Military Emergencies Unit (UME) and shows a drone pilot using an unmanned aircraft to deliver food and water to pets that are surrounded by lava from the Cumbre Vieja volcano on October 8, 2021.

Several dogs caught by lava on the volcanic island of La Palma have been fed and watered by drone every day for days.

The island government should applaud the electronics firm Ticom Soluciones and the tour operator Volcanic Life for this, said Nieves Rosa Arroyo, the commissioner for safety and emergencies. The animals, which included a white cat, were found five days ago in an empty water basin by a drone equipped with a camera. Because of the very hot lava surrounding these animals, they cannot be reached over land. The only way to save them is to use a drone to deliver food and water.

The volcano in the south of La Palma, which was previously less known to visitors than the other Canary Islands such as Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, or Lanzarote, erupted for the first time in 50 years on September 19th. Since then, more than 1,000 structures have been destroyed by lava, according to government sources. Approximately 6,000 individuals were evacuated.

Because of the oncoming lava, up to 800 more residents were forced to flee their homes on Tuesday. Experts couldn't predict how long the volcano would be active. It may take weeks or months, according to media reports.

You can read more stories in which drones are used for good or to deliver products on DroneXL.

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Photo: KEYSTONE / Luismi Ortiz