“Four, five days without eating, nobody can stand.”
– Absalón Conurana, mayor of the municipality of Catacora
24 July 2018 – In the province of José Manuel Pando, in the department of La Paz, the situation is critical. Authorities reported that the snowfall from Friday to Sunday generated the loss of thousands of head of cattle, and asked for help with forage.
Snowfall in the municipality of Catacora reached 20 to 30 cm (8 to 12 inches), said mayor Absalón Conurana.
He pointed out that there are around 70 thousand head of cattle (80% alpaca and 20% of llamas) in his territory, of which 20% were lost, that is to say, that some 18 thousand animals died.
In Santiago de Machaca, mayor Lizardo Condori said snowfall reached 60 cm (2 ft) and that the animals died from the cold or because they could not rise directly with the weight of the snow.
He noted that until Tuesday 500 head of cattle had been reported killed, but that number may increase.
The mayors agreed that even though the snowfall ended, the situation is still critical because the snow became ice, which prevents the animals from feeding.
Mayor Conurana affirmed that the ice will melt in about two weeks, but meanwhile 100% of the livestock is in danger without food. “Four, five days without eating, nobody can stand,” he said.
Photos of animals foraging for food:
http://www.erbol.com.bo/sites/default/files/nevada4.jpg
http://www.erbol.com.bo/sites/default/files/nevada3.jpg
http://www.erbol.com.bo/sites/default/files/nevada2.jpg
http://www.erbol.com.bo/sites/default/files/nevada6.jpg
http://www.erbol.com.bo/sites/default/files/nevada5.jpg
Thanks to Argiris Diamantis for these links
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July 25, 2018 at 07:10PM
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