This badly burnt cat that had its whiskers frazzled and its paws charred after spending weeks wandering the Spanish island of La Palma following the Cumbre Vieja volcanic eruption has died from ash inhalation just a few days after it was rescued.
Magma the cat was found badly injured, having had its whiskers partially burnt off by the high temperatures on the Canary Island of La Palma, where the Cumbre Vieja volcano has been spewing ash and lava since 19th September.
Footage that was shared with Newsflash on 4th November by the animal rights organisation Leales.org shows the white cat undergoing a check-up after it was rescued by two travelling photojournalists named as Carles Rabada and David Melero on the previous day.
However, Leales.org told Newsflash that despite the best efforts of the veterinary clinic, Magma succumbed to his injuries on Saturday, 6th November.
According to the organisation, the cat had inhaled large quantities of ash and toxic fumes during the several weeks it spent wandering around the vicinity of the volcano and, as a result, its little lungs were blackened and ultimately overwhelmed.
The organisation added that cats are being completely forgotten about by the local government and are essentially “invisible” despite the large number of them currently struggling to survive on the island.
Leales.org said Magma’s death is “further proof that it is the invisible cats that have suffered the most from the tragedy of the volcano”.
(Leales.org/Newsflash)
The footage following the rescue showed Magma undergoing several examinations including one on its eyes, which had been affected by the ash and the fumes.
The cat’s paws had been badly burnt from walking on the hot ground and were wrapped up by the vet in an attempt to speed up their recovery.
The cat was then fed and given something to drink before being put in a cat cage with a thick blanket to rest and recover.
The rescue attempt was in the end in vain, but Leales.org is continuing to advocate for better protection of pets on the island since the eruption began.
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Badly Burnt Cat Called Magma Spent Weeks Wandering Around Spanish Volcano Island Before Rescue
It is currently calling for the local government to dispatch drones to monitor the location and status of pets that have been abandoned while preparing plans to rescue the distressed animals.
Leales.org has launched a GoFundMe page to cover the vet bills of the animals rescued from the island. Donations can be made via this link: www.gofundme.com/f/rescate-por-dron-a-los-perros-del-volcan.
The volcanic eruption has seen thousands of people evacuated and thousands of homes destroyed over the last seven weeks.
Ash clouds have been disrupting flights and the authorities have urged locals to stay indoors as the fumes from the volcano blanket parts of the island.
Magma, the cat that survived several weeks in the ashes and next to the lava on La Palma.
(Leales.org/Newsflash)Magma, the cat that survived several weeks in the ashes and next to the lava on La Palma.
(Leales.org/Newsflash)
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Story By: Peter Barker, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash
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