Famished dogs trapped by the lava from the recently erupted La Palma volcano in Spain will be rescued by drones using remote-controlled nets.
On Tuesday, October 19, a Spanish drone operator received permission to try to rescue the starving dogs blocked near La Palma. The three canines have been trapped for weeks in a deserted yard covered with volcanic ash in Todoque, Daily Mail reports.
Thanks to drones dropping food packages sent by Ticom Soluciones and Volcanic Life, the dogs are still alive. However, teams are still trying to come up with ways to bring the poor creatures to safety.
Currently, helicopters are banned from flying in the area due to hot gas still emanating from the lava. Since drones appear to be the only option for saving the dogs, emergency authorities voted to allow the mission.
Jaime Pereira, CEO of drone operator Aerocamaras, pans to send a 50 kg drone equipped with a wide net that would capture the canines one by one.
The drone will fly the animals to safety 450m(1480ft) away over the lava.
Speaking to Reuters, Pereira said:
“It’s the first time an animal is being rescued with a drone and the first time it has to be captured. If that’s the last option that the dogs have? Then we’re going after them.”
The drone operator will have to act quickly, as they will have only four minutes to capture a dog inside the net and four more minutes to rescue it.
Aerocamaras’ CEO noted:
“What we don’t want is to run out of battery when flying over the lava.”
By the time of writing, test flights are still being carried out. The mission depends on the way the dogs will respond to the drones. Pereira explained:
“They’ve been eating very little for weeks. They might come, or become scared of the drone. We really depend on their reaction.”
