Peru: State Of Emergency Declared As 250,000 Alpacas Die In The Southern Andean Region

Peruvian Times – “Peru’s government has declared a state of emergency in parts of the southern Andean region of Puno that have been hit with the coldest temperatures in a decade, daily El Comercio reported.

President Ollanta Humala, visiting the area this week, announced the emergency for seven provinces in Puno – Carabaya, Sandia, Lampa, San Antonio de Putina, Melgar, Puno and El Collao.

Hundreds of families have been affected and more than 250,000 alpacas have died due to freezing temperatures and snow storms that have hit the southern highlands.

Vehicles on the highway between Puno and Arequipa were also affected. Passengers on interprovincial buses were forced to wait some eight to 10 hours on the icy highways at temperatures of minus 15 degrees Celsius.” Source – Peruvian Times.

Flashback: Peru: Thousands Of Shellfish Found Dead Off The Coast Of Lima, Warm Water Blamed – “Thousands of crustaceans were found dead off the coast of Lima following the mystery mass death of dolphins and pelicans, the Peruvian Navy said Friday. The cause of death is under investigation, said Industry and Fishing Minister Gladys Triveno, warning that ‘it would be premature to give a reason for this phenomenon.’ The Navy said it presented a report on the find to the Agency of Environmental Evaluation and Control to determine the cause.” Read more.

Flashback: Peru: Government Mystified As Hundreds Of Dead Dolphins, Seabirds Continue To Be Found Along Coastline – ““Late last year, fishermen began finding dead dolphins, hundreds of them, washed up on Peru’s northern coast. Now, seabirds have begun dying, too, and the government has yet to conclusively pinpoint a cause. Officials insist that the two die-offs are unrelated. The dolphins are succumbing to a virus, they suggest, and the seabirds are dying of starvation because anchovies are in short supply. But even three months after officials began testing the dolphins, the government has not released definitive results…” Read more.

Flashback: At Least 1200 Dead Pelicans Found Along 105-Mile Stretch Of Peruvian Beaches – “Peru’s oceanographic agency said it will investigate the deaths of 1,200 pelicans on northern beaches, the same place where nearly 900 dolphins were recently found dead. The dead pelicans were found by Puerto Eten Fishermen’s Association on Thursday and Friday along 105 miles of coastline, reported the Associated Press. The government’s Institute of the Sea said it found nearly 600 dead birds, mostly pelicans and also some gannets, along a 43-mile stretch.” Read more.