CANOAS, Brazil — A Brazilian horse nicknamed Caramelo by social media users garnered national attention after a television news helicopter filmed him stranded on a rooftop in southern Brazil, where massive floods have killed more than 100 people.
Social media influencer Felipe Neto sent out updates to his almost 17 million followers on X as the rescue was underway.
Rio Grande do Sul’s Gov.
Mariângela Allgayer, a veterinarian and professor at the institution, said Thursday afternoon on social media that he arrived very dehydrated.
The stranded horse is just one of many animals rescue workers have been striving to save in recent days.
Animal protection groups and volunteers have been sharing images of difficult rescues and heartwarming scenes of pets reuniting with their owners on social media.
Heavy rains and flooding in Rio Grande do Sul have killed at least 107 people.
“If they can rescue a horse, why not all dogs that are still missing?
CANOAS, Brazil — After a television news helicopter captured a Brazilian horse that people on social media dubbed “Caramelo” stuck on a rooftop in southern Brazil, where severe floods have killed over a hundred people, the horse went viral.
Caramelo was successfully removed from the Rio Grande do Sul state of Brazil on Thursday, about 24 hours after he was first spotted and with people clamoring for his rescue. This gave hope to the beleaguered region.
The brown horse had spent days balancing on two thin, slick asbestos strips in Canoas, one of the hardest-hit cities in the state, much of which has been cut off by floodwaters. Canoas is part of the Porto Alegre metropolitan area.
Cap said, “We discovered the animal in a weak state.”. A statement from the security secretariat of Sao Paulo quoted Tiago Franco, a firefighter from that state who was dispatched to spearhead the rescue. Our goal was to approach calmly. “.
The 770-pound horse was put on an inflatable raft after firefighters and veterinarians scaled the partially submerged roof, sedated, and immobilized it. Four inflatable boats, four support vessels, firefighters, soldiers, and other volunteers participated in the operation.
Television networks aired the rescue live, using footage shot from their helicopters. As the rescue was being carried out, social media influencer Felipe Neto provided updates to his nearly 17 million X followers. He then made an adoption proposal.
“Oh my god, what happiness! Caramelo, Brazil loves you.” was what he wrote.
During an official event, Janja, the wife of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, shared a video of herself whispering good news into the Brazilian leader’s ear. He lifted his hand, grinned, and gave her a hug. The Governor of Rio Grande do Sul. With a post on X that read, “All lives matter, we stand firm!” Eduardo Leite also praised the rescue.
Caramelo is recuperating at a university-affiliated veterinary hospital.
The institution’s professor and veterinarian, Mariângela Allgayer, posted on social media on Thursday afternoon stating that he was extremely dehydrated when he arrived.
Bruno Schmitz, one of the veterinarians that assisted in Caramelo’s rescue and evaluation, later told television network GloboNews that the animal, who is approximately 7 years old, was probably used as a draft animal for a cart based on his characteristics. Schmitz continued by saying that he’s also very gentle, which was very helpful when giving sedatives.
Even for highly skilled teams, the operation was exceedingly challenging. He said, “I think they had never gone through anything like this before, but thank God everything went well,” and then he showed Caramelo getting to his feet.
The horse that got stuck is just one of the many creatures that rescuers have been attempting to save lately. As of last week, the housing secretariat of Rio Grande do Sul state reports that approximately 10,000 animals have been rescued by state agents; thousands more have been saved by volunteers and those in municipalities.
Animal advocacy organizations and volunteers have been posting pictures on social media of challenging rescues and touching tales of pets finding their owners again. A man sobbing while hugging his four dogs in a boat after rescuers returned to his house to save them is seen in one of the viral videos.
In Rio Grande do Sul, excessive rainfall and flooding have claimed at least 107 lives. State officials report that over 230,000 people have been displaced and that another 136 people are missing. Numerous animals have been reported missing or killed; there is no official count, but thousands, according to the local media, may have been lost.
Pet owners in Canoas celebrated, waiting in line to receive donations at a makeshift animal shelter run by volunteers not far from where Caramelo was saved.
While looking for dog food for his two puppies, Guilherme Santos, 23, said, “So much bad news, but this rescue does give people here some more hope.”. “We can certainly accomplish this; if they can save a horse, why not all the dogs that are still missing? “.
The head of Grad, a nonprofit organization in Brazil that saves animals from natural disasters, Carla Sassi, announced that she is meeting with representatives of the state government in Canoas to talk about emergency protocols for rescuing animals.
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