Following owners, thousands of cows, buffaloes evacuated away from restive Philippine volcano

Philippine authorities were evacuating more than 2,000 cows and water buffaloes away from a restive volcano to minimize potential losses in case of a major eruption, officials said Sunday. The farm animals were being herded out of rural communities within a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) radius of Mayon volcano's crater in northeastern Albay province to 25 temporary grazing area. They're following more than 12,600 villagers who have moved to emergency shelters since last week, when Mayon began spewing superheated gas and heavy ashfall in a sign of a possible major eruption within days or weeks. Thousands more people may still need to be relocated to shelters, usually schools and other public buildings, officials said. "It's not only people that should be brought to safety but their farm animals too,” Albay provincial veterinarian Manny Victorino told The Associated Press. He said authorities were taking steps to avoid a deeper economic impact if the volcano erupts. In Matnog village in ...